Tamers Sagas: Code Carter
by Narissa
Summary: "Of all the children who were chosen to protect this world, you alone are capable of preventing the coming apocalypse. Because there's something you have, that nobody else ever did...something they never will. Do you know what it is? Me."
1. Prologue

I really hope you like this, please review!

-N

* * *

This is part 5 in the series:

1. Atlas  
2. Crescendo  
3. Flux  
4. Diminuendo

* * *

"Rika and Ryo are the big guns." Takato said decisively. "I'd feel a whole lot better knowing the two of them will be looking out for us."

"Yes, I figured. I'll make the calls."

* * *

Ryo sat in his physics class, not exactly caring about the coefficients of springs. He was far more interested in Rika, who sat in front of him and to the left. They'd gone back to their usual routine of awkwardness, arguing, and significant gazing, and while Ryo, like any seventeen-year-old of course wanted more, he was just glad to have her back in his life.

He felt bad about never paying attention in that class. Or rather, he felt bad about _not_ feeling bad for never paying attention in that class. Or most of them, really. His teachers had this little game they played where they'd try to catch him off guard to embarrass him in class, but he had his homework done far more often than not, so he did know the material, and hadn't been caught with his guard _completely_ down just yet. Physics was by far the worst, though. The teacher never actually _taught_ anything, he just took up the previous day's homework. All period. Every day. Always. Typically there was about two minutes of note-taking that might as well have just been photocopied out of the textbook.

"Ryo Akiyama?" Mr. Togashi called confidently, right on cue.

_Figures_.

Ryo realized that he was called since he must have looked bored. He peeled the side of his face off of the textbook, and glanced at the chalkboard to figure out the last question that was answered.

"6.38 meters." Ryo said. He looked at the teacher as he waited for him to ask Ryo to write out the solution on the chalkboard in full. It took a whole second, but Ryo was soon on his way to the chalkboard, binder in hand. He quickly copied down the solution, and took the opportunity to correct the mistake the teacher had made in the last problem, before returning to his desk and sitting down.

Mr. Togashi was one of those people who hated being proven wrong, which was unfortunate seeing as how he was an incompetent asshole. He could hear whispers of his classmates as he sat in his desk, some of whom found his 'defiance' more amusing than he did, but he did smile a goofy little smile when Rika shot him a little grin as she shook her head.

"Care to explain that?" the teacher asked, unimpressed.

"You told us they were supposed to be done this way." Ryo replied, indicating the board.

"No, I didn't."

Ryo grabbed the books off of the desks of the two people behind him, and the one beside.

"Yeah, you did." Ryo answered, flipping each book to the previous day's note, and indicating. Ryo typically didn't have a problem with authority, but Togashi had this fun _thing_ he did where he'd tell the class to do things one way, then come in all fire-and-brimstone the next day saying he never did.

Most of the class had turned so that they could see Ryo's face as well as the teacher's, and most of them had looks of intrigue, and looked to be awaiting a fight to break out.

"Ryo Akiyama, if you have a problem with the way this class is instructed, then please go ahead and lea—"

The threat was interrupted by a high-pitched musical jingle.

Mr. Togashi looked confused, but Ryo knew he himself looked lost, especially since the song that was playing was "It's a Small World", and because it was coming from his pencil case.

"What have I told you about bringing cell phones to my class?"

He'd never actually told Ryo anything, but he didn't mind taking the blame for one of the other students on that one. Ryo typically did have it on him, but it was always off from the start of the day to finish. He just liked having it around before and after school incase Will needed to leave a message for him. Hell, he'd been invited to leave, and might even have somewhere to go to. Bonus.

The ringing continued, but even Ryo was a little nervous to remove it. At least, until another series of beeps went off, this time coming from the row in front of him.

"Both of you get out."

Ryo didn't say anything, and neither did Rika, who gathered her things, closed her binder, and walked out the door behind Ryo.

"You're such a tool." Rika said to Ryo with a little laugh as they both headed out of the classroom amidst the giggles of their classmates who could still hear them.

"Yeah, you too." He replied, wishing he could think of something wittier. Or something that even made sense. "Thanks for screwing around with my ringtone, by the way."

"You definitely had it coming."

"Probably." Ryo murmured. "Who's calling, anyways? Nobody _ever_ calls me."

He knelt down a little to toss his books to the floor. Leaning against a locker, he unzipped the pencil case and pulled out his phone, which displayed, '_1 MISSED CALL_'.

"Hippos?" Rika asked quietly. Ryo looked at her, who was looking at her own phone.

"Huh? Hippos?"

"HYP-NOS." Rika articulated with less frustration than he'd typically expect from her.

"Oh." Ryo confirmed, wishing he hadn't tried to confirm 'hippos' with her. "Yeah. Me too."

"Well, let's go see what Yamaki wants." Rika said with some reluctance. "You driving?"

* * *

"Next?"

"Henry." Was Takato's immediate answer.

"Well, that one is rather self-explanatory. But I'll need your reasons for record-keeping purposes, of course."

"He's saved my life at least a half-dozen times, he's the best-team player we've got, he's brilliant, and level-headed."

"Oh. Right. That."

* * *

Henry was in his third-period class, which was a peer-tutoring program for computer studies. Basically, he got a credit for helping out students in a new programming course. The course had been more popular with students than the school had been anticipating, and since only a handful of the faculty could teach even the most basic levels, the few who _were_ trained requested that it be added to the list of the peer-tutoring courses.

The course itself was open—which was the school's first mistake—so any student in any grade could take it. There were a few students in the class older than Henry, which was a little awkward, but people tended to be cool about it. Most of them were the same age or younger though.

"Why isn't it working, Henry?" one student, Jeff—Henry was _pretty _sure that's what the guy's name was.

"Well, let me see."

Henry looked at the screen, silently reciting the code to himself. He soon noticed what was wrong.

"There." Henry said, indicating. "You see that line there? It's working with this one up here, and it's throwing the whole thing into a loop."

Jeffrey sighed in frustration. "I really thought I had it."

"Hey, don't worry, just take your time." Henry said comfortingly. "Let me know if you need help, but I think you'll be able to figure it out, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." The boy answered, unenthused, but not especially disappointed. He walked to the next student's computer, but as the guy paid no attention to him, Henry didn't speak, as things seemed to be working fine for him.

Next to that student, however, was a younger blonde boy who always had something interesting going.

"What've you got today, Will?" Henry asked.

"Physics formulas." He replied confidently. Will was the adopted brother, or half brother, or something, of Ryo's. Henry didn't really know or care for the details, since he didn't talk much with Ryo lately. He held no grudge towards Will though, who was an extremely bright student. Henry felt a big rush of pity whenever he saw the boy though, who had just lost his mother two months earlier.

"Sounds boring." Henry admitted with a grin. "Go on?"

"You just pick the unit from this list here," Will indicated a list on the left which held items such as 'Kinematics' and 'Time Dilation'. As he clicked on it, a new window opened up with a prompt. "Then you just put in any variables you have already, and it'll calculate everything you're missing, with all the work showed and everything."

Henry was impressed. "Uh, don't share this one with anyone, okay? Some of the teachers might be pissed if they found out there's stuff that makes their class material even more unnecessary."

"Oh, okay." Will replied, a little dejected. "What do you think, though?"

"I think it's your best one yet." Henry barely had time to notice the boy's face light up when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket.

"Yes?" Henry asked as he answered the call.

"Henry, it's Yamaki." The man said as professionally as ever. "I need for you to come to the Hypnos building."

"Uh, I can't just leave class." Henry said quietly. He wasn't even supposed to have his phone on him.

"I've already spoken with your parents and teachers, they don't have any problems with it."

Henry rolled his eyes. Hypnos paid for most of the newer textbooks in the school's library, so it was no surprise that they'd bend rules for Yamaki.

"Alright, I'm on my way." He clicked his phone shut and stuffed it back into his pocket, before grabbing his jacket off of a chair he'd left it on.

He slipped it on and hurried back over to Will. "Hey, if Jeff can't get that program of his working, can you help him out?"

"Uh, maybe." Will said, looking over. "Who's Jeff?"

"Him." Henry said, indicating.

"That's Jim."

_Well, I had the 'J' right_.

"Oh. Crap." Henry grumbled. "Can you help him if he needs it, though?"

"I can try, I mean I'm not as good at this as y—"

"You'll be fine." Henry said with a little laugh and a pat on the arm. Will was probably better at it than Henry was, but there was no chance they were going to let someone even younger than Henry help teach the course.

He glanced to the teacher, who nodded back, which was enough approval for Henry to leave.

_I wonder what this is all about?_

* * *

"He's on his way." Yamaki told him. "How many more?"

"Three." Takato answered. "Jeri and Kazu should be out of class by now."

"You want Kazu on your team?" Yamaki was clearly trying to hide his concern.

"Yes." He nodded. "He's resourceful, and he's not bad in a fight. Besides—he's matured a lot since you've seen him last."

"I'll take your word on it." Yamaki said with a shrug. "But Takato…"

"Yes?"

Yamaki sighed a little, evidently at a loss of what to say.

"I understand that you and Jeri have feelings for each other, but she doesn't have a digimon."

"I know."

"Then why bring her along?"

Takato scratched his head, messing up his admittedly messy hair. "Jeri's just as valuable to the team as I am. Besides—don't forget that I don't have a partner either."

"I understand that, Takato, but I know you're still capable of leading the team, Guilmon or not. I need to know why Jeri should be there."

"Jeri'll always do what's right." Takato said flatly. "Call her our ambassador—if we need to make any kind of negotiations, deals—if we need any kind of diplomacy for this, Jeri's going to be the most approachable and personable one of us. If there's any chance of non-violent solutions, Jeri will be the one to find it."

* * *

"Hah!" Jeri said, triumphantly slamming down her next pair. Kazu snickered at her, and Jeri saw that some heads had turned at the volume in which she declared her victory. It was third period, which was Jeri's free period, and she was playing cards with Kazu, which was their usual tradition. Most of the other kids used their free periods to either nap or to catch up on the next class's homework that they didn't do the previous night. But Jeri knew Kazu always tended to have his done, so she made sure she'd have hers done too, so he wouldn't have to be bored by himself.

She actually felt bad, since the only card game she knew how to play was Go Fish. Kazu's tried to teach her a few others, but she just couldn't get into it.

"Alright, alright." Kazu admitted defeat as he stood up and walked to the vending machine, slipping some coins in. "Root beer?" he added, hopefully.

"Mmm, no." she said after some false consideration. "Let's go with Sprite."

The way it worked was whoever lost the first round had to buy the bottled drink they'd share for the rest of the period.

"You know, one of these days we're going to play a REAL card game."

"Oh, we'll see about that."

Jeri had been getting pretty confidant in her Go Fish abilities. She hadn't even been bringing any money with her the last few days to test herself. She was pretty sure she had some change in her locker, but it was way on the other side of the school. That, and she was wearing a skirt, so she didn't have pockets, and her purse only had bills that the machine wouldn't take.

"Where's Takato today, anyways?" Kazu asked, sitting down as he set the bottle down.

Jeri shrugged. "Not sure. I saw him this morning, but I didn't see him at lunch, and I looked in the Bio lab before I came here and he wasn't there."

"…Stalker." Kazu muttered with a grin.

"Shh!" Jeri hushed him, looking faux-guilty, and kicking his shoe. Of course, her own shoes were open-toed, so it hurt her more, but she'd live.

"Alright, I'm bored." Kazu declared as he wrapped the cards in a rubber band and tossed them at the chair Jeri's purse was on. "Name something we can do."

"Hm." Jeri pondered. "What's your middle name?"

"Where're you going with this?" Kazu looked puzzled.

"I'm curious."

"Yeah, no." Kazu said defiantly. "Come on, think of something."

Jeri thought for a moment before she put her purse on the table. Maybe there was something inside that could occupy the time.

She reached inside, and took each item out individually to keep Kazu—and even herself—hopeful.

"Okay." Jeri said with false excitement. "We've got—my cell phone, make-up, wallet, _your_ cell phone, notepad, green gel-pen, and a Hot Wheels I thought looked cool that someone left on the floor."

Kazu perked up. "You know, I was ready to declare you "World's Most Boring Purse" before that. And why do you have my cell phone? I was looking for that."

"You left it on the table here yesterday, and I stuffed it in there. Sorry, forgot to tell you."

"No worries, thanks, thought I'd lost it." He picked it up and turned it on. "One missed call in 24 hours. I rock."

Jeri grinned, and as he said it, her own phone vibrated against the table, producing a terrible sound that nearly made her jump. "Hello?" she asked, answering it.

"Jeri, it's Yamaki."

"Hi, Mr. Yamaki, how are you?"

"I'm fine Jeri," he answered hurriedly. "Can you and Kazu come to the Hypnos building please?"

"Sure thing, we'll see you there." She hung up the phone and stood up, stuffing everything on the table back in the bag.

"So, I'll bet you a root beer Takato's with Yamaki at Hypnos." She said as Kazu tossed his own phone in her purse. She didn't question it, but he confirmed their deal and the two left the room.

On their way out, Jeri spotted Ryo coming down the stairwell, Rika behind him. At first glance she wasn't sure if they were going somewhere, or if he was running away from her. But once she confirmed with herself he wasn't fleeing, she called to them, and they came over.

"You guys get called too?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah." Jeri nodded. "Takato's probably with Yamaki."

"Yeah, probably." Ryo said with a nod.

"Hey, you guys going to Hypnos?" a voice called from up above. The four looked up, and saw Henry hurrying down the stairs.

"Yeah." Kazu answered. "Any idea what's up?"

"No, he didn't give any details." Henry said. "You guys know anything either?"

"I missed the call." Kazu admitted.

"Me too. We were in class." Rika spoke up. "And Ryo was too busy pissing off Mr. Togashi."

"I was too busy pissing off Mr. Togashi." Ryo repeated casually, as if he hadn't heard Rika say it not two seconds before. "Kenta around?"

"He's still out of town." Kazu reported.

"Well, as long as there's just the five of us, we can fit in my car." Ryo suggested.

"I call the front seat." Jeri said, hurrying towards the exit.

* * *

"Alright, they're all on their way here." Yamaki declared.

"Any idea what we _say_ to them?" Takato asked.

"_You're_ the people-person." Yamaki told him near-accusingly.

_Only compared to you_.

"Who's the other?" the man said, as if remembering.

"Hm?"

"The one you want on the team." Yamaki said patiently. "Aside from Ryo, Kazu, Henry, Jeri, and Rika. You said there was one more."

_Cronus_.

"A friend of mine."

"I need more than that, Takato." Yamaki didn't seem to be losing his patience, which was strange for him.

Takato tried to think of what to say. "His name's Cronus, he's a Tamer I met a while ago. He's really smart and I'd be more comfortable if he was around."

"Another Tamer?" Yamaki looked surprised. "Who's his partner?"

"Gatomon." Takato answered.

He was lying through his teeth, of course. He just didn't want Yamaki knowing that Cronus was really Guilmon. Yamaki was a friend of the Tamers, true, but he was also an active scientist, and Takato didn't like the idea of turning digimon-turned-human over to him.

When Yamaki had recruited Takato to help, Takato had made it very clear that as far as combat goes, he wouldn't be very helpful, because Guilmon had died in his last trip to the digital world. He trusted his friends to back up the lie once they got there. Yamaki had told him that he still trusted him more than anyone else, and as long as Takato was willing, he still wanted him to lead the team.

Takato was a sucker for nice words, and it had gotten him in trouble helping Yamaki out in the past. But as long as this time it was Yamaki that was being kept in the dark as far as secrets went, Takato was willing to try again.

He was fairly confident in his team. Ryo and Rika were both exceptionally resourceful Tamers, with powerful partners. Henry would never would pass up the opportunity to help out, and as long as Terriermon didn't piss off any of the locals, he was good in a fight. Jeri was always a reliable moral compass, and Takato generally felt better if she was around. That, and for the reasons he mentioned to Yamaki before. Takato could count on Kazu to come down on the right side if some decision needed to be made, and besides, he probably wouldn't forgive Takato if he left him out.

Cronus, however, could have been a problem. Takato still wasn't sure if he even wanted him there. When Cronus was last in the digital world, he still had the strength as if he was Guilmon, and prior to that, he had even more power than Takato could conceive. But he lost all that when they came to the real world. If Cronus were to go _back_ to the digital world, he might change again. And Takato liked having him around, which he couldn't be if he were to be Guilmon again.

"Alright." Yamaki accepted. "He's your responsibility."

"Okay. Thanks." Takato responded with a nod.

"Is that everyone you want?" Yamaki questioned carefully. "What about Kenta?"

"Thought about it, but he's not gonna be back in the city for a few weeks, and nobody's sure how to contact him." Takato informed. To be truthful, he was hesitant to have as many people on the team as he was bringing—while each one definitely had their contributions to the team as a unit, they were still individual people that would need looking out for.

"Alright." Yamaki said thoughtfully. "What about Alice?"

"Thought about it…but as far as any of us know, she's never been in any battles, even with Dobermon." Takato admitted. "And last I heard, she wasn't exactly interested in the digital world. And Mala's not what you'd call eager to go back there either."

"Right. And Ai, Mako, and Suzie are all of course too young…"

"Bingo." Takato confirmed. "This team's the best way to go."

The line of thought was interrupted by the door opening, and his friends stepping in.

"You pulled me from a very promising Physics class, Takato." Ryo said as he barged in, annoyed. "This better be good." Takato grinned, knowing full-well that Ryo probably did a little dance in his joy to be out of that class.

He knew they all figured it had something to do with the digital world—if it didn't, then it wouldn't be them that would have been called in.

Takato took a step back, cleared his throat, and let himself off the hook. "Mr. Yamaki?"

Yamaki sighed, and indicated a global map on the wall with a half-dozen red dots on it.

"Over the last week we've noticed breaches in the wall that separates the digital world from this world." Yamaki began. "Most of them have been in uninhabited zones—over the Atlantic, there's one in the Antarctic—but if the causes of the disturbances are left alone, then it's possible they'll eventually open up in highly populated areas. You can see here that there's one in the park—though we know firsthand that the walls between the worlds are weak there."

"What's causing them? The disturbances?" Rika asked.

"Our best guess," Takato started, "is that when the D-Reaper was on its way out of the digital world to ours, it erased some of the digital world's systems that should have been regulating that world. We've seen that things that die in the digital world typically turn to data and _return_ to the digital world, but the D-Reaper is the only thing we know of that actually _erased_ the data, leaving these sort of holes. So, if you guys are up for it, we go in, track down the disturbance hot-spots, and upload the new and improved codes to repair them."

"I want to help—" Ryo began, somewhat awkwardly. "But how many are there? The hot-spots, I mean."

Takato looked to Yamaki, who fielded the question. "There's at least twenty."

"…Ah." Ryo finished, obviously not sure how to respond to it. "So how long are we expecting this to take us?"

"About a month, most likely." Yamaki answered.

"I can't leave Will for that long." Ryo replied immediately.

"I already talked to my parents about that," Takato told him. "Will can stay with them if both you and him are cool with it."

Ryo paused, seeming to be weighing the situation in his mind. Having a fifteen-year-old dependent had matured Ryo faster than Takato could ever have expected.

"Alright, I'll talk to him." Ryo nodded.

"You said we'll need to upload code? I don't think any of us except Henry know much about computer code." Kazu said hesitantly.

"The data is all self-executing." Yamaki reassured, presenting a small glass-looking spike, a cone, maybe three-quarters of a foot long, an inch around at the top. "You literally just plug it in."

"Thing is," Yamaki went on, "the digital world's inhabitants should have fixed these disturbances on their own. Why they haven't could be due to a number of reasons. Some may _want _access to the real world. Maybe they simply don't have the capacity to make the repairs. Maybe they don't realize what's happening. Maybe they're distracted with other problems. It's up to you all to decide what the best way is to deal with these situations on a case-by-case basis."

"Now, we just need to know who's in." Takato spoke, pacing. "I won't hold anything against anyone if they don't want to, since it probably will be dangerous, and we all have lives and people here, but I think we'd all feel a whole lot better knowing that we'll all be there."

"I'll go." Jeri was the first to speak.

A few seconds passed, as each was probably waiting for each other to speak, but Kazu finally took the task. "Yeah, I'll do it." He said casually. "But one thing—how are we supposed to find our partners?"

"It's impossible to get a lock on any of their locations from here," Yamaki said to the group, though it was hard to tell if he was looking at anyone in particular through his sunglasses. "But we believe they'll be drawn to you, either consciously or subconsciously, as they were in the first place. Until you find them, I have some defensive tools prepared for you."

Henry was next. "I'll need to talk to my parents, but I'm sure they'll know it's something that has to be done. Is it just going to be the six of us?"

"Cronus will be coming, too." Takato told them.

"Okay." Henry replied with a little relief. "Good."

Takato knew Henry would be the one who would be glad Cronus would be going, because Henry was the only one of the group who had seen what Cronus was capable of at his prime. Of course, Takato knew that the chances were that Cronus would never return to that state of power, and was in fact as power_less_ as the rest of them were. A human.

"I'm not gonna pass up the chance to see Renamon again." Rika declared.

"Ryo?" Takato asked.

"I want to." He said sincerely. "I really do, but I still need to talk to Will about it."

"That's fair enough." Yamaki told him.

"When do we leave?" Kazu asked.

"Tomorrow morning." Yamaki answered. "I'll stabilize the portal in the park at 6:00 am."

* * *

"So how long'll you be gone?" Will asked.

"Yamaki said the whole thing should take about a month." Ryo answered. "But I should be able to come check on you every couple of days if you want; literally whenever we find a transit spot."

"Is it gonna be dangerous?" the boy asked.

On one hand, Ryo wanted to lie to him and tell him it wouldn't be—but he knew if he did that, then he wouldn't have any reason for not bringing him along.

"Probably."

"I don't want you to go." Will finally said blatantly, his eyes tearing up.

"I know." Ryo replied quietly.

"I don't want you to go to that place, I don't want you to die." Will was pleading, and Ryo understood why. He was the only family Will had left anymore.

"I'm _not_ gonna die."

"I don't wanna be left alone." Will finished quietly, his voice barely a whimper. It was the second time Ryo'd seen the boy cry, the first time being when their mother died two months ago.

"I'll be okay." Ryo reassured him. "Except for maybe Rika, I'm the best one in a fight. Legendary Tamer, y'know? But if I don't go, then they're short one fighter, and that means it'll be just Rika, Henry, and Kazu looking out for Takato, Jeri, and Cronus. I need to be there."

Will reluctantly nodded. "When're you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning."

* * *

Takato sat with Cronus and explained the situation to him.

"So when do we leave?" Cronus asked.

"Yamaki's gonna have the portal in the park ready for us at 6:00 am tomorrow." Takato answered. "Are you sure you want to go?"

"Yeah, I want to help." Cronus said sincerely. After a beat his expression became more confused, however. "Do you—do you want me _not_ to go?"

"…I'm not sure." Takato admitted. "If you go back, we don't know what'll happen to you."

Cronus looked sheepish, but didn't speak, so Takato went on.

"We don't know if you'll change back to Guilmon, or if you'll get your powers back, or if something badl'll happen, and I just don't want to volunteer you for anything you don't want to do."

"I want to go, Takato." Cronus said after a pause. "I can't just sit here and wonder if everyone's alright."

"Okay." Takato said, not defeated, but not thrilled. "Go get some sleep, I'll get you in the morning."

* * *

The night passed all-too-quickly, and before Rika knew it, she was standing at the park with the others, waiting for the portal to make itself visible.

Her goodbyes had been short—just to her mother and her grandmother—they didn't put up much resistance, they were actually pretty supportive, which was a nice surprise for Rika.

There were three people who were actually there to see them off—Takato's parents, and Will, who would be going home with them after the Tamers had left.

She was the first one there—she'd gotten there an hour early. There was no way she could have slept, so she just snuck out of the house and waited there. Kazu had arrived shortly after, and while she typically didn't enjoy his company, he'd changed a lot since she last spoke to him, and she didn't mind anymore. Jeri came next, followed by Henry, then Ryo with Will, and Takato with Cronus and his parents.

"Is everyone ready?" Takato asked, obviously a little embarrassed asking that when he was the last one there.

There were various affirming grunts, and amidst them came a bright blue light from behind Takato. Since Rika and the rest of the Tamers had been_looking_ at Takato, it was somewhat blinding, but they knew it was normal—Yamaki had stabilized the portal, so they didn't have long.

Takato nodded to Cronus, waved to his parents, and stepped in with Jeri, as he held her hand. Cronus followed, with some hesitation. Henry walked in confidently, and Kazu did the same, though he closed his eyes as he did it.

Ryo hugged his little brother before a smile and a wave, and he hurried to catch up.

Rika approached the portal, but stopped, and turned to Will.

"Don't worry." She told him. "I'll look after him for you." She gave him her most reassuring smile, and entered the portal, hoping he believed her—but more so hoping she'll be able to keep the promise.

* * *

_Ugh_.

Takato stood up as the nausea ebbed, and looked around while everyone did the same. He was looking for Cronus. He wanted to know if anything had happened to him.

His gaze soon found a blonde boy stand up with a little stagger, who had his hand pressed against his stomach. Cronus steadied himself, and looked at his hands intently.

"Cronus!" Takato called. "Are you okay?"

"I—I think so." Cronus said, standing up with Takato's help. "I felt kinda funny there for a second."

"Did you get any of your powers back?" Takato asked him.

A beat passed. Then, quietly, almost sorrowfully: "No. They're gone."

"It's okay." Takato said, patting him on the shoulder. "We'll all be fine if we stick together."

After Cronus looked slightly less distraught, Takato turned to his other friends.

"So, you guys ready to go?"

* * *

Okay, so that's the prologue for you. Please review!

-N


	2. Sarian

**Sarian:**

It was strange—Ryo had always loved the digital world. The atmosphere—it was a place where even standing still you didn't feel like you would feel in the real world. You felt lighter—you _weren't_, but you felt so very different. Ryo had welcomed that feeling in his previous excursions to the digital world. He'd become accustomed to it during his first stay—the stay which eventually had him meet up with the Tamers and later led him back to the real world. But once they had gotten back, Ryo wasn't used to the real world's feel. Now, after having been gone so long, and having become so readjusted to the real world, he once again felt that the digital world was foreign—even though it was his home away from home.

_And away from the one human being that actually needs me._

He knew Will would be fine without him, especially since he was staying with Mr. and Mrs. Matsuda. But Ryo needed to _see_ that Will was okay. Will had been dropped into Ryo's life abruptly, but over the months they'd gotten to know each other, and helped each other through the loss of their mother. Ryo turned his mind away from the subject, however, when he began to think that he might need Will more than Will needed Ryo.

Of course, Ryo was glad to be around Rika again, even if she wasn't paying him any particular notice. His coming to the digital world wasn't about being near Rika, though, and he feared that people would misinterpret his intentions in coming. He missed all his friends…he missed really making a difference. Of course, making a difference would be easier if Cyberdramon and the other partners were around.

"So where's the nearest disturbance?" Ryo asked nobody in particular, trying to get himself focused. He figured Takato'd be the one to answer, since he was the only one who had a decent idea of what was going on.

"We should be there in about a half hour." Takato said without really looking up.

Takato was preoccupied with teaching Kazu how to use the equipment Yamaki sent with them. He'd already taught Ryo and Henry how to—it wasn't terribly difficult. The device they'd use to locate the disturbances was about an inch thick, and no larger than a standard CD, albeit a little squarer. It had a circular screen, though, which had six numbers. Three of them changed as the device moved, while the other three locked on the dimensions of the disturbance. Basically, tracking down the disturbance was an issue of matching up the three pairs.

Yamaki had sent four of the devices with them, but they only had the one active since there were limited batteries, and they only needed one on. The devices had other capabilities, too, though. They could communicate with Yamaki back at Hypnos, but only from certain locations in the digital world.

The other key pieces of equipment Yamaki sent were the data spikes. They contained the data needed to repair each area of the digital world. The team had yet to actually activate any of the spikes, but they had decided to take turns in actually activating them, just so they all knew how to.

Of course, Yamaki had also sent along medical supplies, which Ryo wasn't actually all-too-eager to learn to use simply because it meant that someone would have to be hurt. Most of them were injections to combat various types of medical issues that might arise in the digital world, but Ryo imagined that even Takato didn't know how to identify which injection should be used; which meant that if someone got sick, they better be able to contact Yamaki.

"Do you think there'll be any humans here?" Kazu suddenly asked, interrupting whatever jargon Takato was telling him about the equipment.

Most of the Tamers made some kind of questioning 'hmm's in response to him, but Ryo knew what he was talking about, since he'd wondered it too. Still, he let Kazu continue, just in case.

"I mean, Yamaki was able to stabilize the portal in the park to send us through…but we know they're able to do that themselves, and we don't know how long it's been there. Or other ones around the world that Yamaki might not have detected. Do you think we're the first people to have come through?"

"Maybe…" was Takato's answer, which he gave very slowly but thoughtfully. "I guess I never thought about it."

"Guess we'll just have to wait and see." Henry replied after some thought. Of the people in the team, Henry was probably the one Ryo was least comfortable around. It might have been because Ryo was jealous of his friendship with Rika, but a few months ago, Ryo needed all the friends he could get, and Henry wasn't there for him. Not that Ryo felt he had _deserved_ his friends, but Henry had hurt him.

Ryo didn't hate Henry, though, and didn't even mind if Henry hated him, even though Ryo was pretty sure he didn't. Ryo looked around as they walked, to his surroundings, and to his friends. Takato and Rika were in the lead, followed by Henry, Rika, and Cronus, and Jeri and Ryo took up the rear.

He made some small-talk with Jeri, and he simply took appreciation in his being where he was with who he was with.

After about half an hour of walking through a seemingly endless green field with the occasional rock formation, in the horizon a the tips of a wall of trees could be seen. Takato quickened his pace, though he didn't say anything, and his attention shifted from the device to the horizon.

"Is that where the disturbance is?" Kazu questioned. "That big circle of trees?"

_Circle?_

It took Ryo a few seconds to see it, but he did, and he eagerly waited for Takato's answer.

"Looks like." Takato said, looking down to the device. "Yamaki said this thing won't lead us to their exact locations, though, so we'll have to do some looking around."

"Uh, Takato," Henry began nervously. "How much looking around do you think? That forest looks pretty damn big, and we haven't go a clue where to look in it."

"I've been there." Ryo blurted out suddenly. He really wanted to find some way to lead into saying it, but there didn't seem to be any good opportunities coming up to say it.

"In that forest there?" Rika asked as everyone stopped to turn to him.

"Yeah. But the forest itself isn't the main attraction. There's a village in it called Sarian."

Ryo had been there years earlier, before he met up with the Tamers. The inhabitants had been welcoming to him. He'd found one of them that had strayed from the village, and took it back home. It wasn't like Ryo had anything better to do, and he didn't even have to fight anything, so it wasn't dangerous for him—but the rest of the village had been worried sick, and had been very grateful for Ryo's aid.

"There's a lot of Betamon that live there," Ryo went on. "when I was there, there was also a Gazimon that called himself Giz that was kind of an informant for the village. If the disturbance is anywhere _near_ Sarian, Giz'll know where to find it. "

Most of his friends stared at him rather blank-faced, unsure of what to say, but it was Henry who looked full-out impressed, and a smile grew on his face.

"So at least now we've got a place to start, then." He said with certain optimism. "Thanks, Ryo." He quickly added.

Ryo wanted to accept the thanks, but couldn't bring himself to just yet. There was still the issue of _finding_ Sarian itself.

"Uh, the thing is," Ryo said awkwardly. "I wasn't the one leading the way in or out when I was there, I only remember that to get to the village you've gotta use one of the lifts that the Betamon set up."

"Still better than nothing." Kazu chirped. "What do they look like?"

"Like a frog with a mohawk?" Ryo answered thoughtfully, before he realized Kazu was talking about the lift. "Big, flat, circular, and wooden." Ryo answered with some embarrassment. "There's at least four in there, but the Betamon mentioned that they're pretty spread out."

"Okay, we can do this." Rika said determined.

Takato too nodded, and Ryo was just glad that none of them expected him to remember his way through the place.

"Yamaki sent three dart guns with us." Takato explained. Ryo's mind clicked when he remembered that Yamaki had mentioned that there would be 'defensive tools'. "They'll knock out any digital life that you use them on for a few hours—plenty of time to get away."

"Teams, then?" Rika suggested. "Two pairs, and one group of three?"

"Good idea." Takato confirmed.

Ryo looked around awkwardly, trying to decide whether or not he should approach Rika; not entirely because he would like the chance to spend some time with her, but because they really did make a good team. Of course, by the time he round up the nerve to go over to her, she'd already walked over to Jeri and Henry.

After a moment with a little discussion, the teams were Jeri, Rika, and Henry, Takato and Kazu, and Cronus was with Ryo.

"Okay, the scanner's not picking up anything powerful and hostile in the area, so there shouldn't be any danger, but keep your eyes peeled anyways, okay?"

* * *

"So…" Ryo said awkwardly. It wasn't that Ryo actually felt awkward around Cronus, it was just that Cronus wasn't talking, and Ryo couldn't come up with anything to say. "What's up?"

"The usual." The blonde boy responded promptly, still looking around. "Anything look familiar?" he added hopefully.

"Uh, yeah," Ryo murmured. "This tree here looks exactly like that one over there, and that one over there, the one in my backyard, _and_ the one in front of our school."

"Sorry."

Ryo shrugged. "I wish I could remember, but memorizing the path through this place wasn't exactly on the top of my priority list back then."

"What was?" Cronus asked, turning to him for a moment before turning back to their surroundings.

"What was what?"

"Your priority."

"Surviving, I guess." Ryo saw Cronus look at him with a look of surprise, so Ryo tried to explain it. "I had more than a few close calls way back in the day, right? I was still decent back then about knowing which card to use and when, but things got pretty rough sometimes."

"Why'd you stay?" Cronus asked, stopping.

"Hm?"

"Why stay in a place where it's dangerous when you didn't need to be there?"

Ryo looked at the boy strangely. "You're here now, right?"

Cronus looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Even if I didn't have any big apocalypse to stop before, I still wanted to help out where I could, right?" Ryo thought back to his adventures before he met the Tamers. "I mean, you know how rough things can be here. So, Cyberdramon and I went around doing what we could to make things easier."

"That's very admirable." Cronus admitted before starting to walk again. Ryo was glad, too, because he wasn't quite sure how to take that. Mainly because Ryo felt like a giant hypocrite for saying how he wanted to do what was right, while his actual ability or history of doing what was right wasn't exactly stellar.

Cronus still fascinated Ryo. The digital monster-turned-human—if one were to line him up next to a 'normal' kid, there was no way that they could pick out that there was something different about him. He was wearing a brown zip-up hoodie Jeri'd bought for him, the hood pulled over his head to the point that there were just a few blonde strands of hair visible on his forehead.

"What about you?" Ryo asked him. "Do you miss being—not human?"

"Not really." Cronus answered. He thought for a second before he went on. "I can't eat as much as I could before, though. But I don't need as much sleep."

Ryo snickered, but didn't say anything.

"There is—" Cronus suddenly said, as if remembering. "There is one thing I miss, though. My dreams."

"You don't dream?"

Cronus shook his head, but didn't slow the pace. "No, not since I found out what I was. I suppose they're not that important, but I do miss them. Sometimes, anyways—I don't much miss the bad ones."

Ryo was uncertain how to respond to this, but Cronus let him off the hook when he started walking again.

The pair continued to search for several more minutes before Ryo began to wonder if the rest of the team had found something. He and Cronus were having absolutely no luck whatsoever. The forest itself was huge, of course, and for all they knew, the Betamon had upgraded their technology, since it had been nearly three years since Ryo was there.

Ryo was just about to suggest to Cronus that they try and call out to find the others instead of trying to find the lift when he realized that the boy wasn't beside him.

In fact, Cronus was several paces behind Ryo, standing still, staring upwards.

"Everything okay?" Ryo asked.

"_It isn't safe."_

Ryo nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice. He looked around, seeing that it was still just him and Cronus there.

"Did you say something?" Ryo asked.

Ryo looked to Cronus, who was looking up into the trees. As the blonde boy gazed, he pulled his brown hood off of his head and seemed to be staring up with some kind of interested awe. Ryo too looked up, not out of fascination, but out of curiosity as to what Cronus was seeing. Ryo only saw the sun stare down, causing him to squint.

_No, there's something else_…

Ryo squinted harder, his eyes aching as he stared at the black speck that moved across the skies—

—_No, across the trees_—

"Something's up there." Cronus whispered, though as he did Ryo had already figured it out.

"_You need to get away."_ the voice warned sternly. _"Hurry!"_

This time Ryo could see Cronus's lips weren't moving, and knew that while the voice was male, it wasn't one Ryo recognized. Ryo's hand instinctively reached to the dart gun he had on his belt, silently praying he wouldn't have to use it.

"Think it's frien—"

Before Ryo could ask if it were friendly, he was interrupted by small sharp objects tearing into the ground around them—and one of which went through the gun, ripping half of it apart, falling uselessly to the grass and dirt.

_Bullets…? No, it's a digimon's attack._

But Ryo didn't have time to question it, and since Cronus was frozen in shock, Ryo grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him, and the two ran. He let go once he saw that Cronus had snapped back into it.

"What do we do!" Ryo heard Cronus call from just behind him as they continued to dart through the forest. Ryo didn't answer, as he knew if he did it would be something suggestion that Cronus should be the one to know.

Well, whether or not Cronus was going to think of anything was still a mystery to Ryo, and Ryo knew that he better come up with a plan himself. He knew that he and Cronus couldn't lead this thing back to the others, so they'd have to come up with a way to lose it.

Unfortunately, a glance back saw that at the very best, they were keeping an even distance between it, and Ryo knew that his adrenaline could only keep him sprinting for so long.

"Think we have a chance in a fight?" Cronus said to Ryo as quietly as possible in their haste.

Ryo doubted it. While he wasn't weak, he wasn't remarkably strong either, and beating up a few teenage thugs wouldn't be the same as whatever was chasing them. He knew that while Cronus wasn't bad in a fight against a human, Ryo wasn't about ready to throw him into battle against something like this.

A longer glance behind him informed Ryo that the pursuer was humanoid, or at least it would have been if its arms weren't so enormous. The creature was entirely dark-green, and while Ryo really didn't want it to be, it was running on all fours, and even though its front limbs were sluggish, it was moving fast.

"I don't think we have a choice." Ryo finally admitted quietly in response to Cronus's question. "On three?"

Cronus nodded. "One…"

Ryo couldn't help but glance back again, and he slowed his pace enough that he was still moving, but enough that it wouldn't tire him as quickly.

"Two…"

He saw Cronus do the same, and saw the blonde boy squeezed his eyes shut before he counted the next number.

"_Three!_"

Ryo slammed his right foot into the ground, planting it there, while turning the rest of his body in a clockwise motion. He could see that Cronus was doing the same but in the reverse direction, but the two didn't have time to make eye contact before they were facing backwards. The creature was in the air, ready to pounce, and as it came inward, Ryo swung his fist hard into its face.

It grunted softly, but it's two front legs were already on Ryo, and pushed him into the ground, hard. He winced as his back hit the hard dirt below, and stared into the creatures yellow eyes.

_Wait…_

As he saw the creature up-close, he could see that the dark green color was actually a clothing of some sort. He realized this as the material wasn't bending properly as it moved, combined with the fact that it wasn't any digimon he recognized.

It's head was about thirteen inches away from his face before a red shoe was brought up between it, Cronus's foot catching it in the jaw with a loud crack.

Its head turned angrily towards Cronus, who had backed up and looked ready to dodge whatever the creature did next. It pounced, as Ryo expected, and he grabbed its tail as hard as he could with one hand, and its right leg with his other, and threw himself back to the ground, pulling with all his strength and weight.

The creature snarled, and kicked Ryo in the gut, causing his grip to loosen before kicking him again in his arm as it pushed off, jumping into the air, towards Cronus. Ryo couldn't move as the pain in his abdomen spread to the rest of his body, most notably his left arm, where he could feel the bleeding start from the creature's claw when it pushed. He couldn't help but watch as Cronus squared off against it.

He wasn't doing badly, though. Ryo couldn't help but think of what this guy was capable of when he _had_ his so called 'powers'. He was already reacting faster than Ryo could think, but knew that Cronus was doing it all by instinct. He hadn't landed any hits, but was dodging the kicks and swings of the creature's arms, as it was now standing on two legs. The creature was slender, but towered over him.

Ryo grit his teeth and pushed himself back onto his feet; he had to help as best he could. He grabbed a jagged baseball-sized rock off the ground, and made his way towards it. So what if neither of them had 'powers'. If this thing didn't like being punched in the face, Ryo knew it wouldn't like what he had planned for its skull.

Cronus, meanwhile, had his back against a tree, the creature looming over him.

"Destroyer…" the creature hissed loudly enough that Ryo could hear it

_Destroyer?_

Ryo looked to the boy's face, which was clearly dripping with anger and confusion, and of course, fear. Ryo moved swiftly towards the creature, as it wrapped a hand around Cronus's neck and lifted him. The blonde kicked and flailed, but it wasn't helping him escape—

—until Ryo swung the rock hard into the back of its head, and it let him go as it fell to the ground, and began to disappear into a cloud of data.

Ryo helped Cronus up, who was feeling at his neck anxiously.

"You okay?" Ryo asked, concerned. He looked into Cronus's eyes, and saw that they weren't looking back at him, but past him. Cronus grabbed Ryo and pulled him aside, and the two fell to the ground as a slim claw swung where they were a split-second before, and shredded a chunk out of the tree in the process.

Ryo tried to get up but was both exhausted and terrified, and he stared at a second figure which looked exactly like the first. It towered over the pair, and Ryo grit his teeth as he waited for the pain—

—but when Kazu came in from the side and tackled the thing to the ground, Ryo was struck with a different kind of shock. Kazu wrestled with it for a moment. The boy was no doubt weaker than the creature, and it was soon on top of him, but when Kazu snickered, Ryo realized that he was up to something—

—and a series of small darts fired into the creature's shoulder, and Ryo and Cronus brought their gazes to Takato, a small dart-gun still in hand. He hurried over as Kazu pushed the now-unconscious oppressor off of himself, and Ryo and Cronus stood up, still out of breath.

"What were you waiting for, an invitation?" Ryo panted, mock-offense in his tone. Takato's face was expressing nothing but shock, and Ryo turned to Cronus to see him catching his breath. "You okay?" Ryo called to him.

Cronus nodded, his hand rubbing his own neck. "I—I think so."

"What is it?" Kazu asked, wiping his hands on his pants as he circled the attacker's body.

"It's not one I recognize." Takato said as he examined the creature from beside Ryo. "You?"

Ryo didn't answer, but walked to the body. Since it wasn't moving, and because it was covered in dirt, mud, and leaves, it was a lot harder to tell that it was actually dressed in something. But still, Ryo could see the seam where the headpiece met the rest of it, and he pushed his fingertips in, and pulled the mask off.

"That, uh—" Kazu began, perplexed. "That's a Gaogamon."

He was right. Ryo peered at the blue fur surrounding its eyes, which were peacefully closed. The blue-white wolf-looking creature simply lay on the floor of the forest, and Ryo hadn't a clue as to why it was there, let alone why it attacked.

The four stared at the creature's body, and it was Cronus who had the nerve to ask the question burning in everyone's minds. "What the hell's it doing here?"

Ryo had seen Gaogamon before, but never anywhere near the area where they were.

"Let's find the others." Takato said uneasily.

Finding Jeri, Rika, and Henry was a pain, since Ryo and the guys were hesitant to call out in fear of another attack. However, they eventually found them—and it turned out that Jeri found a lift.

* * *

Ryo and the other Tamers had been greeted by about a dozen Betamon. A few of them recognized Ryo, and were ecstatic to see him—among them was the Betamon that he'd helped bring back there years before. But something was wrong—there should have been a _lot_ more there.

"Guys, I need to talk to the boss." The Betamon always referred to their leader as "boss", so Ryo figured he'd best do the same.

There were a few various croaks, before one spoke. "We'll tell him, but you all should relax now."

"There really isn't enough time to—" Ryo insisted, but they were already nudging them towards a large hut.

Ryo found a room where he could be alone for a moment, before he rolled up his left sleeve and stared at the wound on his arm. It wasn't bleeding heavily, but it hurt. He tore off his right sleeve, which he then tore apart until he could get a piece big enough to wrap around the wound, but small enough that it would be obvious that it was there under the remaining sleeve.

The Betamon had kept him and his friends there for about fifteen minutes, and while Ryo was grateful for the welcome, he really wanted to fix that disturbance.

"Can we go, then?" Ryo asked as he re-entered the room where his friends and the Betamon were.

"Sorry Ryo, but the boss only wants three of you there. Tops." One of the Betamon squawked. "Who's it gonna be?"

Ryo turned to Takato. Even if Takato was the leader of the group, it would be best if it looked like Ryo was making the decisions, and Takato knew it. Ryo nodded to him, then turned to the rest of the group to figure out who else would join them.

It surprised Ryo when Rika stepped forward. "I'll go."

The leader in Sarian was a Betamon, like all the others, but instead of bright orange, his hair was white. He'd recalled Ryo, and spoke only to him. Even though Rika and Takato were right next to him and could hear everything, the Betamon directed everything to Ryo.

"What's happened here?" Ryo asked. "Where is everyone?"

The Betamon made some sort of gurgling noise. "Raiders came through here."

"What were they? Gaogamon?"

"No, the Gaogamon are on our side. They did what they could to fight them off, and most of them died because of it."

_On their side?_

Ryo felt the guilt consume him. That digimon he killed—there should have been another way. But he could grieve later.

"What did the attackers want?"

"Mayhem, I suppose?"

"They didn't seem to care about taking anything—most of our belongings and homes were destroyed rather than taken.

"What did—"

"I think it's my turn for some questions," the Betamon cut Ryo off. Ryo nodded reluctantly.

"Why have you come here?"

"The barrier between our world and yours is falling apart." Ryo explained. "If that happens, it doesn't matter where you are—the worlds will bleed into each other. That would be very _bad_ for both of us."

"Yes, I imagine it would be." the chief pondered. "But how do you intend to stop it from happening?"

"We're tracking some disturbances all around the world." Ryo went on. "The digital world itself is supposed to be able to maintain the barrier, but its energy is being sucked out from these disturbances. If we can repair enough of them, we can stop that from happening."

"I see." He answered quietly. "And why have you come here?"

"There's one in the forest but we can't pinpoint it." was Ryo's answer. "I was hoping Giz might know something about it."

"That—" the white-haired Betamon started. "That won't be possible."

"Look," Rika retorted, frustrated, and obviously losing her patience. "We're all going to be in trouble if we don't get to speak with him, so please, just tell us where—"

"Rika?" a soft woman's voice asked in disbelief from behind them.

Even though Ryo was at the front of the group, with Takato and Rika behind him at either side, he still turned around in time to see the look of shock on Rika's face before she too turned to see a familiar golden fox standing in the doorway.

Rika and Renamon's reunion had been heartwarming but brief, and pretty uncomfortable for Ryo and Takato, as neither women said a word, just embraced.

Finally, Rika spoke. "Why are you here?"

It was the Betamon that answered. "Renamon was nearby when the raid came through. She—heard the screaming."

"Why can't we speak to Giz?" Ryo questioned the Betamon, getting back on-topic.

"He was taken." Renamon answered.

"Where?" Takato asked.

"They said nothing." Renamon replied coldly.

"We need to find that disturbance." Ryo murmured.

"Disturbance?" Renamon asked curiously.

"There's some sort of anomaly in the forest that we need to find. Have you seen anything?" Ryo answered.

Renamon nodded. "Perhaps I know what you're looking for."

* * *

"That's gotta be it." Rika murmured as she stared. It was hypnotic, really…the point of the disturbance was on the floor of the forest, as they'd expected, only none of them knew what to expect it to look like. It was a small crack in the ground, and out of it poured streams of black and white dots that vaporized after they got a few feet above the ground.

"Look," Cronus said, pointing above. "In the data there…is that Shinjuku?"

Ryo looked up, and very faintly saw the shapes of some houses misted in the cloud of data. "Could be anywhere, I think."

"So, we gonna fix this baby or what?" Kazu was excited, and even Ryo had to grin about it.

Takato took off his backpack and pulled out one of the data spikes, which he lobbed to Ryo. "I think this one's yours."

"Alrighty." Ryo walked towards the fountain of data, knelt down, looked at the spike, and slammed it into the dirt as hard as he could.

Data shot out of the end of the spike that was still in the air, and once it was in the air, it exploded in a light blue wave in all directions. As the wave touched the disturbance, the data that was leaking out of the ground disappeared. The lights that the spike emitted afterwards were more impressive than any light show he'd seen at concerts. The spike spun in place for several seconds, changing colors and humming, before it dug into the ground, and everything returned to normal.

"Okay…" Rika said after a few seconds of silence. "That was cool."

"Good job, Ryo." Jeri smiled at him.

"Ugh, I think all the lights gave me a migraine." Takato muttered.

"One down." Henry said with a nod.

"Can I do the next one?" Kazu was still as excited as before.

"Hell no," Rika pushed him lightly, "The next one's all mine."

"Anyone else get creeped out by that blue wave thing?" Cronus asked sheepishly.

"You wuss." Takato grinned.

Ryo smiled inwardly as he listened to the chatter of his friends, finding optimism in the fact that they'd managed to fix one, even if they did have dozens more ahead of them.

* * *

Ryo had snuck away from camp to sit by the lake nearby. While there were no stars, the skies of the digital world were still beautiful to see, and Ryo wouldn't pass up on the opportunity to sit and appreciate them. There was a flat stone, maybe six feet wide, and five up on which he was sitting, his legs hanging over.

He mostly wanted to be alone with his guilt for having killed the Gaogamon. He knew that it was in defense—the thing was ready to kill Cronus—but he couldn't help but wonder if he shouldn't have aimed for the head—if he'd just knocked it out instead of killing it. If he could just have shown it that it was a misunderstanding. And that voice that warned him to run…Cronus didn't hear it. Who was—

"Hey." The last person he expected to hear called from behind. He turned to see Rika, who was walking towards him.

"Hey." Ryo responded with a little smile before turning back to facing the lake.

For a few seconds neither spoke, as Rika approached the side of the rock.

"It's really beautiful." Rika commented.

"Yeah." He answered without looking at her.

"Can I come up?"

"Yeah, sure." Ryo said, glancing at her only for a second before shifting over away from the middle. He could tell she was looking around the rock peculiarly.

"Uh, how?" Rika finally asked, defeated.

"Oh, sorry." Ryo leaned forward and pointed at a ledge that was difficult to see in the dark. "Put your foot there?"

She abided, and when she did, Ryo extended his right hand down, which she took, and he pulled her up to his left.

"Thanks." She said, turning to the lake.

Ryo wasn't trying to be rude, but he was being very careful about anything he said as he didn't want Rika to be uncomfortable.

"Does it hurt?" she asked him, causing him to finally turn to her.

"Hmm?" he mumbled.

She gently put her hands on his arm, near where the Gaogamon's claw had dug in, indicating the hole in his sweater.

"Not really." Ryo lied, trying his best not to make her worry.

"Uh huh?" Rika challenged, gently squeezing the area just above it.

Ryo winced, his back arching. "Fine."

"Cronus said you might have been hurt." She told him, reaching her hand into her pocket, and removing it presenting a bandage. She looked at his one-sleeved sweater, and quickly tore off the remaining sleeve.

"I've seen this movie." Ryo teased, worried Rika might push him off the rock. Fortunately she laughed. "Sleeveless it is, then."

She inspected his arm, which Ryo had bandaged himself earlier. He'd also washed away most of the blood, though a little bit had stained the sleeve of the white t-shirt he wore underneath. The bandage itself was messy, and dressed poorly since Ryo had done it using only one arm.

Rika carefully unraveled it, as Ryo looked back to the lake. He couldn't look at her while she changed the bandage.

"Cronus also said you were pretty brave in that fight back there." Rika kept talking, not looking up. "Said you saved him."

"He did most of the work." Ryo admitted.

"Well, I'm glad you're both okay." She murmured, not looking up, even when Ryo looked to her. Instead she continued. "Renamon says that nobody's ever attacked Sarian before. That it doesn't have any enemies, and that Giz didn't have any either."

Ryo _did_ look to her this time. "You think the village is wrong about this just being bad luck?"

"Well, I just think it seems kind of strange that they'd destroy a village and take _one_ prisoner. And we both know a Gazimon isn't even very powerful—hardly worth the efforts to capture."

"That's true." Ryo said with a nod. "But what I'm curious about are the things that attacked Cronus and myself."

"Why's that?"

"Well, the one that Takato knocked out attacked because he saw me kill the first one." Ryo explained. "But the first one attacked _us_. It doesn't make sense why it'd attack us unless it was mistaking us for attackers—but we sure don't look anything like digimon."

"You think there were humans involved?" Rika said, catching on.

"Maybe." Ryo murmured.

"So do you think we're in deeper than we thought?" Rika asked.

"Do you?" he challenged.

"I guess we'll have to be extra careful." Rika said after some thought, obviously wishing she had some more insight into the problem. "Anyways, I'm glad to know I've got you watching my back." She said, as he turned and looked at her square in the eye.

"Rika…" he started, not sure of where to go from there.

"There." Rika said, changing the subject as she finished wrapping the bandage. "How's that feel?"

Ryo moved his arm around. "It's good." He said with a nod. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Rika said, hopping off the rock. "I'm gonna go get back to the others." She said, heading back from the direction she came.

"Alright, thanks again. I'm gonna hang out here for a bit."

She just nodded, and took a few more steps before she called back to him. "And don't be out too late! You don't have any of that precious coffee of yours to help you through tomorrow morning!"

Ryo laughed a little but didn't answer, and just turned back to the lake. He lay back on the rock, propped up by his elbows. It took him maybe five minutes before he realized his arm didn't hurt anymore.

He smiled a little, before laying back on the hard rock, his sweater as a pillow. He was getting tired, and could have fallen asleep right there.

But he sat up, jumped off the rock, and headed back to his friends, knowing he didn't have to be alone.

* * *

Okay, so this episode set up for a lot of different story-arcs that are going to be happening later on, but don't worry about what's important just yet—there'll be little recaps of important events at the beginning of a chapter if there's something seemingly minor that's going to be brought back up.

So what did you think? Please review!

-N


	3. Freedom To Choose

**Previously:**

"Yeah, I want to help." Cronus said sincerely. "Do you—do you want me _not_ to go?"

"…I'm not sure." Takato admitted. "If you go back, we don't know what'll happen to you."

"I want to go, Takato."

/ / /

Rika approached the portal after Ryo stepped in, but stopped, and turned to Will.

"Don't worry." She told him. "I'll look after him for you."

/ / /

"_It isn't safe."_

Ryo nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice. He looked around, seeing that it was still just him and Cronus there.

"Did you say something?" Ryo asked.

"_You need to get away."_ the voice warned sternly. _"Hurry!"_

/ / /

Cronus, meanwhile, had his back against a tree, the creature looming over him.

"Destroyer…" the creature hissed loudly enough that Ryo could hear it

/ / /

"So do you think we're in deeper than we thought?" Rika asked.

"Do you?" Ryo challenged.

"I guess we'll have to be extra careful." Rika said after some thought, obviously wishing she had some more insight into the problem. "Anyways, I'm glad to know I've got you watching my back."

* * *

Rika tossed a piece of the stick into the fire. It was very late in the night—or perhaps even very early into the morning. Rika hadn't managed to sleep very well, and after she woke up, she just couldn't get back to sleep. She sat on a log, breaking apart a stick with her hands and throwing the pieces into the flames.

After the correction of the disturbance under Sarian, the Tamers had been unable to locate the next disturbance. Yamaki had contacted them and told him that there were some bugs that needed to be worked out, and that they should make camp for the night—that the equipment would be functioning in the morning. It had been a few hours since Rika had talked with Ryo at the side of the lake. She'd gone back to the campsite, and tried to sleep, but couldn't. She was awake when Ryo too joined the group, but he fell asleep quickly, and an hour or two later, Rika just gave up on sleep. Rika still wasn't sure what to think about it. She had had more suspicions about the attack than the inhabitants of Sarian had themselves, but Rika's curiosity in the event had doubled after her discussion with Ryo.

Rika looked to her right, to the boy who lay sleeping. He was lying perpendicular to the way that the log ran, and lay on the dirt. Ryo was lying on his stomach, his head turned towards Rika, and his arm curled on the ground, which acted as his pillow. He was breathing softly, and Rika looked at him for a moment.

He looked peaceful, his lips parted, his eyes closed gently. He must have rolled over recently, though, as there was a patch of dirt on his left cheek. Rika smiled a little at the image, as he looked like a kid who'd been outside playing and tired himself out after refusing to take a bath. She looked around, and seeing that everyone was asleep, the gently brushed her thumb against the dirt on his cheek, wiping it off. She pulled her hand back when he mumbled and shifted slightly.

Rika frowned, and turned back to the fire, tossing another few pieces of the stick into it. They were _all_ asleep. To her right lay Ryo. On the other side of the log was an open space where Rika herself had been trying to sleep. Clockwise around the fire, lay Renamon, Cronus, Henry, Kazu, and then Takato, who lay with one arm around Jeri. Rika smile at the two. Thinking of what Takato and Jeri had often made her happy…seeing _them_ so happy. She wondered if she'd ever have that with Ryo—with anybody. She had her elbows on her knees, and her chin in her hands. She looked down to him again, watching him sleep. She felt creepy for doing it, but in her defense, there wasn't a whole lot else to do.

She felt bad for Ryo. At least she thought she did. Rika thought that of all the people in the group, it would have been Ryo that wouldn't have come. She knew that he was hesitant to leave Will…and she knew that he would have, if he didn't trust Takato's parents like they were his own. But the more Rika thought about it, the more cloudy it was in her mind of whether or not she pitied Ryo for the responsibility that was forced on him. Rika didn't think that Ryo had a choice in what to do with the boy once their mother died. She knew that he wouldn't have had Will taken away—it just wasn't _in_ Ryo to do that to anyone. She almost envied him, in a way—Rika's own family had always been small, and she never had any siblings. Maybe if she had some brothers or sisters she'd have been more social growing up. Maybe she could have been more like Henry.

She looked to Henry, and felt the expected wave of respect wash over her. Henry was one of the people that Rika really looked up to, though she'd probably never admit it to anyone. Henry was just so level-headed it made Rika jealous, then she became even _more_ jealous when she realized that it's something Henry _wouldn't _be jealous over. It was all very cyclical.

Rika's attention was suddenly pulled to the left of Henry, as Cronus shifted in his sleep. What was so surprising about it was because he didn't just _move_, but moved quickly. Again. And again. Rika was unsure what she should do as he began thrashing sporadically. She stood up just before he stopped, however, his foot twitching slightly.

She sat back down.

_He must be having a bad dream_.

Rika looked at the boy. He looked just like any other person their age, but she knew he wasn't just like he knew it, and just like the rest of the Tamers knew it. He was special. A phenomenon, in a word. Rika had often wondered how exactly he came to be in that specific form…she knew that Valn had been looking into ways to render digimon powerless, and that Guilmon had been affected by it…but Guilmon, or Cronus, or whoever, just looked so—so _real_. Why blonde? He was even good-looking…how could it have been coded into his digital make-up to look as he did? Why that voice? She often thought of digital life as still being real life, but—it was just so overwhelming.

To be honest, Rika had barely said anything to him. She just didn't know _what_ to say to him. What _was_ there to say to someone who just a few years earlier was a red dinosaur with a chronic appetite for fresh bread? She was always impressed with how he managed to behave so much like a normal person after his transformation. He _was_ normal, wasn't he?

Rika turned her attention to Kazu. While she still didn't go out of her way to talk to him, she _did_ have a certain respect for him. He was the only one of the Tamers to have changed as much as Rika herself had, and Rika was, in a word, proud of him for it. He now thought things through, while he wouldn't have before. In fact, Rika had once referred to him as one of the 'two most useless human beings on the planet'; with the second of course, being Kenta.

Her gaze drifted back to Cronus, who suddenly sat up. Rika gave him a little wave before she realized that his eyes were closed, but he was standing up.

_Sleepwalking?_

"Hey…" Rika whispered quietly, not wanting to wake the others.

Cronus turned and walked away slowly across the soft, grassless dirt, Rika unsure of what to do. She put her hand on his shoulder, but he ignored her completely, and continued to walk.

She bit her lower lip, and hurried over to Takato, and gently shook his shoulder, only taking her eyes off of Cronus for a second. Takato awoke in a daze, and Rika held a finger against her lips to stop him from saying anything, and she pointed to Cronus. She beckoned towards him, and Takato carefully lifted his arm off of Jeri and followed her.

"What's going on?" he asked her quietly after they were far enough away from the others.

"He just started sleepwalking." Rika answered, pointing to Cronus.

"Any idea where he's going?"

"Absolutely none." Rika frowned. "I tried waking him up but he didn't even notice me."

"This is weird." Takato murmured.

"Yeah, I know."

"No, I mean the way he's walking..." Takato tried to explain. "He looks like he's dragging himself along without any kind of pattern, but look at his footprints."

Rika looked to Cronus, and saw that Takato had meant. He was moving without any rhythm whatsoever, but his footprints were perfectly lined up, and perfectly spaced out.

She just looked up to Takato before looking back at Cronus, and following him. The two followed him in silence for three minutes before Cronus stopped, and dropped to the ground.

"Cronus!" Takato called, running over to him. Rika rolled him onto his side, and could feel that he was breathing.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"Huh?" Cronus mumbled, his eyes opening, sitting up. "What's going on? Where is everybody?"

"You were sleepwalking." Rika told him.

"Oh…" he answered quietly. "Why?"

Takato smiled a little. "It's just something humans do sometimes. Let's get back to the camp, okay?"

Rika helped Cronus stand up, and she smiled at him when he looked at her, looking scared. They only took a step before Cronus stopped and stared at where he was going.

"Something wrong?" Takato asked.

He didn't answer.

"Cronus?" Rika asked him, squeezing his arm.

"Don't you hear it?" he asked.

"What?" Takato was as confused as Rika.

Cronus turned back to them. "Something is calling me, Takato."

Rika looked over to where Cronus had been going—she didn't see anything remarkable there—even though it was dark, there wasn't anything out there within eyesight. She turned her attention back to the blonde-haired boy next to her. "What's it saying?"

"I—I don't know he frowned, opening his eyes. "But I just—I'm scared."

"Don't worry." Takato reassured him. "We're all here."

Rika remembered that however old Cronus might have looked, he was still, in many ways, a child. "We should get back to the others." Rika suggested.

* * *

In the morning, Rika awoke to Henry opening his backpack. He apologized to her when he realized it, but Rika didn't mind. She felt surprisingly refreshed for getting so little sleep, and she yawned as she stretched her arms.

She sat with Henry for a moment before Kazu woke up, then Takato and Jeri, then Cronus.

"Think we should wake him up?" Rika asked, indicating Ryo, who was out like a log.

"Probably." Takato confirmed. "The equipment should be working now."

Rika opened her backpack and pulled out a strawberry-flavored cereal bar, positioned it above Ryo's head, and dropped it on his face.

He grunted before scrunching his nose and looking at the bar, now next to his head. "You brought me breakfast?" he mumbled incoherently.

Rika just snickered and held her hand out, which he took, and she pulled him to his feet. He stumbled as he did, and almost fell on top of her, but Rika managed to steady them. They stood like that for a moment before Ryo pulled away, and Rika suddenly hoped that nobody noticed them holding each other.

"Did Yamaki get the equipment fixed?" Rika asked, turning to everyone, who, fortunately, weren't looking at her and Ryo.

"I think so." Kazu confirmed, pushing some buttons, and taking a few steps as everyone looked on.

Rika was getting impatient, but she didn't rush him.

"Looks like it's…" he took another step forward, then turned a little bit to his right. "This way." He said, pointing. "This way."

"You're sure?" Takato spoke up, sounding surprised. It took Rika a few seconds to figure it out, but she recognized that Takato noticed something she hadn't right away. Kazu was pointing to where Cronus had been sleepwalking towards. Even Cronus didn't seem to realize it.

She stared at Takato for nearly half a minute before he made eye contact with her. He looked as unnerved about the direction as Rika felt, and even though she believed Kazu was right in his reading the meter, she somehow hoped he was wrong.

"Yeah, it's this way." Kazu said with a nod. "The elevation's off, it looks like we'll be going down into a valley or something, but it's definitely in this direction."

"Well, let's get going, then." Ryo suggested.

Rika didn't know why she felt so creeped out. For all she knew, it might have been just a big coincidence. Maybe there was something else out there, maybe Cronus was being called in a different direction—

—_No, we're walking right over the footprints._

Fortunately, nobody but Rika or Takato seemed to notice it. Actually, Rika had almost hoped that someone would have noticed it…she really didn't like the concept of not telling Ryo. Maybe she'd tell him a little later, if they got the chance to be alone.

"Hey Rika," Jeri said suddenly. "Do you think you have room for this data spike in your backpack? Mine's full."

"Uh, I think so," she said, unsure, as she took her backpack off and opened it. It was actually pretty close to empty—she packed lightly, and the heaviest thing in there was a couple of bottles of water.

"Thanks Rika." Jeri said, putting it in and zipping it up.

"No problem." Rika replied casually.

The walk was, in a word, hot. Everyone seemed groggy, even Ryo, who actually slept rather peacefully the night before. Rika felt like she had a lot more energy than she should have had, given she barely slept at all. She figured that the silence was a sum of exhaustion, frustration that Yamaki's equipment malfunctioned the day before, and general crankiness.

"What's that over there?" Jeri asked fifteen minutes of silence later.

Rika squinted, and saw a line of smoke reaching upwards.

"Another attack?" Henry asked, worried.

"No, I think it's a camp." Jeri replied.

"I know one way to find out." Rika picked up the pace, and was soon standing next to Takato at the front of the group.

* * *

"Oh my _God_." Kazu said in disbelief, his jaw dropping open.

What was at the camp was not exactly what they were expecting—what was there, were More Pagumons than Rika could count. They were everywhere. Pagumons were In Training-levels, they were these blue round-looking things with goofy ears, and no legs to speak of.

As soon as the Tamers came into eyesight, the Pagumon charged—or, bounced, as it happened, towards them.

"Woah." Rika said, taking a step back. There were _dozens_ of them. Maybe hundreds . And they—were—squawking. Rika seriously thought that her ears were going to start bleeding, the chatter was so unbearable. She looked to Jeri and Ryo, who were both unsuccessfully trying not to laugh.

Rika could feel several of them, all tugging at her pant-leg, talking at once with the exact same high-pitched voice, but all competing for her attention.

She couldn't make out many words, since there were just so many talking, but she promised herself she wouldn't lose patience. Eventually, the Tamers split up, each trying their best to deal with a small group.

What they gathered was that they typically traveled, but lately there's been earthquakes, and they've been too scared to move. They've been stuck there for two weeks, and the Tamers promised them they'd help them out.

"Think it's the disturbance?" Rika asked Ryo.

"Could be…" he answered carefully, before whispering to her. "How can we get out of here without them following us?

Rika didn't even get a chance to laugh before another wave of the Pagumon hopped towards her and nudged her backwards.

Rika felt a hand grab her sleeve, and turned to see Kazu pulling her and Takato away from the sea of high-pitched chatter.

"Hey Takato," he started innocently. "How 'bout you, Jeri, and Henry stay and keep everyone calm, and the rest of us'll take care of it?"

"Stay—here…?" Takato repeated weakly.

"Yeah, Takato, we all know you guys're better at the whole bedside-manner thing." Rika snickered.

"Yeah, the rest of us are just so disgruntled and such, I really think they'll be more comfortable with you here." Kazu tried to say seriously. Rika could tell he was enjoying it, but hell, so was she.

Takato opened his mouth in protest, but Rika hurried past him before he could.

"Ryo!" she called. "Renamon, Cronus! Let's go, we're heading out."

"Later, boss." She grinned at Takato, who was clearly still looking for a reason why he shouldn't stay.

"Yeah chumly." Kazu added. "I hear all that squawking can actually be pretty melodic once they drive you crazy."

* * *

There were two hills that were especially pain-in-the-ass-y to walk up, and, lo and behold, they had go down the other sides, too. Rika cursed as they climbed up the second one that she would rather just _roll_ down if it was gonna keep up like it did.

_Still better than listening to all that screetching. I've _still _got a headache from it._

But once they reached the top of the second hill, it was a large open space, wider than it looked like it could have been from down below.

What lay beyond was a field of rocks—some huge, some small. But to one side was a giant cluster of larger-rocks, and Rika suspected that that was where they should start.

Rika hopped off the little ledge onto the rock beach, and hurried over to it. The stoned clattered loudly under her feet, as they did for everyone else.

When they reached the big formation, Rika could see a parting in it, big enough for them to squeeze through—but what was so curious about it was that there was a light source coming from inside.

"You guys see that too, right?" Cronus asked nervously.

"The light?" Ryo replied. "Yeah. We going in?"

"Looks disturbing enough to check out." Rika answered.

Rika hurried over, and squeezed in. It took her several moments to get through the tighter spots, before she came to a more comfortable clearing—at which point she realized that the light they saw was coming from the walls of the cave themselves.

She held her hand close to one wall, and put her cheek against the wall, looking at the brightness it gave off on her hand. It was extraordinary—it was giving off a _lot_ of light, but she couldn't tell by looking at it. In any case, they had a disturbance to find.

"I think there's a tunnel over here." Rika pointed to a dark spot.

"One here, too." Ryo seconded.

"You guys go that way, we go this way?" Kazu suggested. Kazu was standing next to Cronus, and Rika was next to Ryo and Renamon.

Rika nodded, and turned to Renamon.

"Renamon, I want you to go with them, okay?" Rika said suddenly.

"Rika?"

"If _I'm_ in trouble, you'll know it." She explained. "If they are, we won't."

She looked to her partner. She could tell that Renamon was reluctant to agree, but Rika knew that she would—because Rika asked it. Renamon had always trusted Rika's judgment—maybe because Rika was stubborn enough that she'd rarely accept anything _but_ Renamon to support her.

Renamon eventually nodded. "Alright. But please be careful."

Rika nodded; for one, it made sense for them to split up, and two; it would give Rika the chance to talk to Ryo about what happened earlier that morning.

She waited a few moments before she brought it up to him.

"Ryo, there's something…" she trailed off. She looked at him, and his blue eyes turned to her, intently.

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Earlier this morning—really, really early, Cronus started sleepwalking."

Ryo's eyebrows raised curiously, but he didn't say anything.

"He started walking, and Takato and I followed him for a while, until he woke up. He didn't remember any of it, but when we started heading back, he stopped, and told us that something was calling him."

"Calling him?" Ryo looked skeptical.

Rika bowed her head for a moment before she looked up to him. "Yeah. Except, where he was walking, was the exact same direction that Yamaki's device told us to go—at least five hours _before_ we actually used it."

"Really…" Ryo said thoughtfully.

Rika nodded. "I wanted to tell you this morning, and I'm sorry I didn't, but with everyone arou—"

"Rika!" a male's voice, Kazu's, whispered loudly as he hurried into the room.

"Kazu," Ryo asked, surprised, "What's—"

"There's something you need to see." He answered.

Rika and Ryo just looked at each other, before they turned to Kazu, who was already heading back the way he came.

He stopped, and turned to Ryo and her. "Now, would be nice?" he added impatiently.

As Kazu scampered away, Rika followed suit, moving quickly but silently, the heels of her feet barely touching the ground.

Soon, Rika found herself in a small clearing in the cave, as well-lit as the others, only in this one, she could see Renamon and Cronus's backs, as they both stared onward at something.

She shot a look of uncertainty to Ryo as she stepped up beside Cronus, and her jaw dropped at what she saw.

It was a person. A _human_ person, crouched over, papers spread out in front of him, as he examined them. Rather intently, too, because he evidently took no notice of the Tamers as they stared at him from behind. Rika looked to her left, at Cronus, who looked back at her nervously.

The person in front of them appeared to be male, with dark-blonde hair. Rika suddenly realized why it was this guy hadn't noticed them—he was wearing earphones. The cord for them was hard to see, but she could distinctly see them after she was looking for them, and it was hooked around his right knee.

"Excuse me?" Cronus called.

_No use._

This guy couldn't hear anything. He mumbled something indistinguishable, and continued to examine the papers in front of him.

"No, that doesn't make sense, maybe—" he murmured aloud. The person shifted as if to stand up, and Rika watched as the cable from his earphones caught on his knee, and fell out of his ears.

"Shit." He muttered.

Rika cleared her throat as if to get his attention—

—and the person gasped, reached to his waist, and spun around. In full-view, Rika could see that he was young, probably Ryo's age, fairly good-looking. His hair was worn messy, but the good kind of messy, kind of like Ryo's…bits of stubble lined his chin—but what she noticed _next_ was what he'd grabbed from his belt. A knife—a knife which in his instinctive panic he'd thrown through the air, and was soaring at _her_.

Rika's body locked up and she squeezed her eyes shut. She saw the boy's face for an instant, and in that instant she'd seen horror on his face—she knew he didn't mean to do it, but it was his reaction.

But what happened then wasn't the ending of her life, as she'd expected—it was a boy grunting in pain. She opened her eyes to see Cronus, the knife through his right hand, as he fell to one knee.

"Cronus!" Ryo called, rushing to him.

"Oh, god…" the guy whispered so quietly that Rika could barely make it out. But she didn't care. She looked at his hand. The blade of the knife was about five inches long, and half of it was sticking out of the other side of Cronus's hand.

Cronus's teeth were grit, and he was breathing heavily through them as everyone examined the wound, unsure of what to do.

"What do we do?" Rika asked Renamon, who shook her head, defeated.

"Move." The young man spoke flatly. He approached them and placed his hand on Rika's shoulder, and—for whatever reason—she abided and stepped back. He had a syringe of some kind in his left hand.

He wrapped his right hand around the hilt of the blade, and looked Cronus square in the eye. "This is going to hurt for a second."

_A second?_

Cronus just nodded, and the boy yanked the blade out as Cronus screamed, the blood dripping rapidly to the dirt. Rika watched on anxiously as the boy quickly injected the needle into Cronus's hand—

—and as if in instantly, the wound closed up, leaving not even a scar.

Nobody could find their voices to speak, and Rika simply stared at Cronus's hand, and then to the boy.

"I'm really very sorry about that." He said, leaning down to Cronus, before standing up, and extending his arm to help him up. Cronus took it, and Rika took the opportunity to question him as soon as she could.

"How did you do that?"

"Even Yamaki doesn't have that kind of technology." Ryo spoke up.

Rika had Cronus and Renamon to her left, and Ryo to her right, and they were facing the boy. Kazu had circled around behind him, but Rika couldn't be sure what he was doing.

"Who are you?" Cronus finally asked.

"My name's Reed." He answered with a nod. "Who are you?"

"I'm Rik—" She was interrupted by a shaking, and a stream of dust falling on her shoulder.

_The cave…?_

"We need to get out of here." Renamon ordered. "Now!"

Rika bolted back the way she'd come in, Ryo right behind her. She stumbled when another quake hit, and so did Ryo, but she could actually hear Ryo smack his head hard on the rock wall.

She swung his arm over her shoulder and helped him out, and a few seconds later, they were joined by Kazu, Cronus, Renamon, and Reed.

"Ryo, you alright?" Kazu asked, concerned.

He took his arm off of Rika, and nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"What caused that?" Cronus asked.

"It's probably that disturbance that's supposed to be around here." Rika answered. "Yamaki said they can have all sorts of effects on the world.

"Disturbances?" Reed asked, curiously. "What're you talking about?"

"There's some places in the digital world where the coding's weak…" Ryo explained. "If they're left as they are, they'll deplete the digital world of the energy it uses to keep it separate from our world."

"…Wow." Reed said, absorbing it. "What do they look like?"

"We've only seen one so far…" Cronus spoke up sheepishly. "But kind of like an opening in the earth with bits of data being spit out.

"Hmm…" Reed murmured thoughtfully. "There's a place near by where there's been a lot of unusual activity lately…unexpected evolutions, agitated creatures that're usually friendly…the quakes could be coming from there, now that I think about it."

_Bingo_.

"That's gotta be it." Kazu said decisively.

"Okay, Kazu, will you go back to the camp? Tell Takato that we can take care of the disturbance, so he should just worry about keeping any of the digimon in the camp from going anywhere just yet." Rika declared. "Have them stay put until we get back."

Kazu nodded, and started back, before Rika made a change. "Renamon, same drill—look after him, we'll holler if we need you."

Renamon nodded, less reluctant than she had been earlier, then _swept_ Kazu off his feet, and took off back towards the camp.

"Alright Reed, where's this thing?" Rika said, turning to him.

He pointed. "That way, about twenty minutes."

"Will you take us there?" she asked.

"Of course."

They walked quickly, and Rika ignored the pain in her shoes of walking on such uneven terrain all day.

"So, are you in charge?" Reed asked her.

"Of what?"

"The group. This mission of yours."

She shook her head. "No, this is Takato's mission. We just—we just don't have anything better to do."

The ground shook again, for longer than it did before. When it stopped, however, nobody bothered to mention it, for fear of stating the obvious.

"What about you?" Ryo asked him. "Why are you here?"

"Just bored, like yourselves." He said with a grin.

The next tremor almost knocked Rika down—even Reed came very close to losing her balance.

"We really need to hurry." Rika stated obviously. "Where is this thing, Reed?"

He pointed ahead, to a hill. "There's a crater up there."

"A crater?" Rika questioned. "Caused by what?"

"I'm not sure." He shrugged. "I've seen some pretty crazy stuff in the digital world…I saw a whole village of robot-types just last week."

_Robot-type…Guardromon…_?

Rika turned to Ryo and Cronus, who she knew were thinking the same thing.

"Haven't seen anything like this crater, though." Reed answered. "Worth checking out if it'll help those loud little guys."

Rika started running towards the hill,

"I'm sorry about this." Reed said suddenly as they approached the cliff.

_Sorry?_

"About what?" Cronus asked casually.

Rika felt her stomach go sick with worry an instant before she felt an invisible hand grab her by the neck and lift her up a foot off the ground. She could still breath, barely, but she couldn't find her voice. The same appeared to be happening to Cronus and Ryo as both remained suspended above the ground. All of them except Reed.

"_Reed_!" Ryo shouted. "What did you do!"

Reed just looked at them—in the eye, which surprised Rika—before he turned back to the cliff, where a small creature now stood, perhaps four-feet tall. It was wearing a cloak of some kind, and Rika couldn't identify what kind of digimon exactly that it was.

Ryo started to shout something again, but he was cut short mid-word and started making a choking sound, as whatever was holding them clearly tightened its grip.

"Ryo!" she called—she _tried_ to call. But there was no sound.

_No good, my voice—_

"Here they are." Reed declared to the creature. "Now, tell me where."

_Where?_

The creature just gave a stifled laugh, but no real answer.

"_Tell me_!" Reed almost screamed as he took an advancing step on the creature.

"Do you really think he'd be safer?" the creature's deep, throaty voice hissed. "With _you_?"

Reed growled—a growl that turned into a shouting scream, and at the peak of it, Rika saw something she'd never seen before—Reed's handignited with a red flame, and Rika, who was standing nearly twenty feet away, could feel the heat from it quite intensely.

_How can something be _that _hot? And how can a human do that?_

Reed clenched his fist—barely visible underneath the red blaze, and spoke again, louder. "_Where is he!_"

Rika managed to turn her head towards the creature, who didn't answer, but took a step back, towards the edge of the cliff.

_It's gonna jump—_

Even Reed seemed to know it, and he swung his arm towards the creature, an arc of red flame sweeping towards the red-cloaked digimon. It was just as fast, though, and the creature tipped itself backwards, and it began to fall.

Rika dropped to the ground instantly, gasping for air—as did Ryo and Cronus—as Reed sprinted forwards after the digimon as it fell.

_He's going after it…_

The creature was already off the edge, and Reed was fast approaching it. And as soon as his feet neared the edge, Rika could barely believe her eyes as he leapt off in one motion, his arms spread sideways, and in an instant, he disappeared over the edge.

Rika looked to the others, and Ryo was fast on his feet as he ran towards the edge. Rika too hurried over, and Cronus was behind her.

She looked over, but Reed and that creature had already been enveloped by the blackness in the depths of the crater.

"So," Ryo said faux-casually. "Any idea what in the _hell_ just happened?"

"Reed…" Cronus murmured to himself. "Who was he…?"

"Or that digimon," Ryo added. "What did it want with us?"

"His hand—that fire," Cronus went on. "That was a digimon's attack, I know I've seen it before, somewhere, but—that's not something humans can do."

Before Rika could say anything, however, the ground gave a jolt, and she steadied herself against Ryo, and they all took several paces back so as to not fall into the pit.

"What was that?" she finally had the nerve to ask. Her answer was a continuous series of the same tremors, and she looked around desperately for the source.

"Think it could be the disturbance?" Ryo called over the rising noise.

"I don't see anything." Cronus called.

Rika continued to look around, but when her gaze met Ryo's, she'd figured it out.

"Kazu said that the disturbance was somewhere low, right?" she said quickly. "Think it's in the crater?"

She carefully crept towards it, looking for some sort of sign that there might be a disturbance in it. A large tremor took her right foot out from under her, and she would have surely fallen in if Ryo hadn't been so damn fast to grab on to her waist.

"There." Rika indicated, one arm around Ryo, the other pointing. "the other side, down there."

"How can we fix it from here?" Cronus asked worriedly.

Ryo swung his backpack off his shoulder, and pulled out three data spikes. He passed one to everybody, and Rika looked at it hesitantly.

"You think it'll work?" Rika asked him.

He gave a weak smile before he shrugged. "I think we're low on options right now." He threw the spike forwards, but it curved downwards and fell into the crater. Rika, too tried, but fell short.

"Up to you, man." Ryo murmured.

Cronus looked down to it, before he took a step forward and launched it—it dug into the wall, and gave off the light it should have—but it wasn't close enough, and the tremors still continued, the disturbance point still active.

"I'm sorry…" he apologized.

_One more—_

Rika suddenly recalled the data spike Jeri had given her earlier. She turned and looked frantically for her bag, which had fallen off of her during Reed's ambush. She fell as she went to it, but dug through it and found the spike.

Her friends were still at the edge of the cliff, but looking at her. She threw it at Cronus—he caught it, spun around, and threw it at the cause of the chaos. Rika saw the light go off, but she couldn't tell if he'd hit it as she was already down, and away from the edge. She stood up eagerly, and noticed that they'd stopped. He'd done it.

* * *

"…and then when the thing jumped into the crater, he went right in after it." Rika finished.

"What do you think he was up to?" Takato asked.

Rika sighed. "I wish I knew. All I do know is he was trying to trade us to get someone or something back from that digimon."

She suddenly remembered something Reed had said, and turned to Kazu. "I don't know how reliable this info is, but he mentioned something about another village just south of here made up of almost entirely robot-types."

Kazu's eyes lit up and he turned to Takato, eagerly. Takato nodded, then held up a small, square, metal object; a camera.

"Hopefully Guardromon'll be there." Takato started. "But here's something else—Kazu took these pictures of the papers Reed was looking over back in the caves."

Rika took the camera in her hand, and looked over the picture. It was pretty well-centered, and had one page fully in view, and several others around the edges. Rika realized that Kazu must have taken them back when everyone was questioning Reed, right before the quakes started.

She zoomed in on the paper; it was covered in characters she didn't recognize; symbols, maybe some language—in any case, she couldn't read a word of it.

"Do we know what they mean?"

Kazu shook his head. "I showed them to Renamon, but she says they're way too old for her to read."

"We sent them to Yamaki, he should have some translations for us in a couple of hours."

* * *

Everyone was, once again, gathered around the campfire. Only this time, absent from the group wasn't Ryo, but Cronus. Rika looked around for some footprints, and when she saw his, she followed hi,

"Thank you." Rika said quietly.

"For what?" Cronus didn't seem to know what she was thanking him for, and Rika just had to smile because of it.

"For saving my life." Rika answered, looking at his hand, where the knife had gone through. "That was very selfless of you."

"It was just a choice." Cronus murmured.

_Just a choice?_

Rika cocked her head to one side. "I'd be dead right now if it weren't for you."

Cronus didn't respond to that question directly, but started something new. "All of the others go on about how stuff's beyond our control—that we don't have a choice in things."

Rika looked to the ground for a moment, contemplating it. "Sometimes we don't."

"My whole life's been choices I've made…" Cronus said thoughtfully. "I chose Takato, as my partner, I chose to fight alongside everyone against the D-Reaper, I chose to stay a human, and I chose to come back to this place. Everybody talks about the stuff they can't control, but I just keep thinking that we all have the freedom to choose."

Rika nodded slowly.

"Reed...he _chose_ to do what he did—lying to us, trying to trade us to that thing…" Cronus went on. "And I think he's the first person I've ever actually hated."

Rika looked away from him, a little ashamed. "Yeah, we hate people sometimes. Was it not like that when you were Guilmon?"

"Not like this." He shook his head "Right now it's—it's just all I can think about."

He looked to her, almost helplessly. "How do I stop feeling like this?"

"You just have to work through it. I hate him too…I just try not to let it get to me." Rika frowned, wishing she could give him some real way to help him. "But it's not all like this. There're other feelings that can fill you up that actually feel good."

"Like what?"

"Friendship, compassion, honor—" she answered almost immediately, before pausing. "Love…"

"Have you ever been in love?" Cronus asked suddenly, and though Rika _should _have been expecting it, it still took her off guard.

She wanted to be honest with him, but she had to evaluate it herself. "Yeah. I think so."

Cronus looked curious, and he spoke again. "Are you still?" he asked.

Here, Rika didn't have an answer for him, except for a defeated shrug. "I'm not sure."

He turned away from her, looking at his shoelaces. "I think Ryo loves you very much."

Rika's jaw almost fell to the ground.

_Did he _actually _just say that?_

"Cronus," she said hesitantly. "This really isn't something we should be tal—"

"Hey," Kazu called, walking up to them. Rika turned to him, as Cronus stood up. "We just got contacted by Yamaki. He had those pages analyzed."

"What did they come up with?" Cronus asked, stepping forward. Rika stood up, looking at Kazu.

Kazu sighed. "Not a lot. Most of the words in there can't be translated into anything humans can conceive, so most of it's useless. And Renamon says it's too old for her to read."

"They couldn't salvage anything from it, then?" Rika asked, disappointed.

"Well, I wouldn't go _that_ far." Kazu mumbled, before looking worried. "Looks like there's something new for us to look out for. He sounds like fun…he's called The Destroyer?"

"The Destroyer?" Rika was just confused.

"Anyways, it's all very preliminary," Kazu went on, looking back down at the pages in his hands. "So Takato says we should try not to get hung up on it just yet until we know what it means."

"I guess that makes sense." Rika replied. "Did he say where we're going next?"

Kazu scratched his head. "Well, it looks like the next disturbance is south—where Reed said he saw all those robot-types. I'm hoping Guardromon is one of 'em."

Rika nodded. It was worth checking out even if there wasn't a disturbance there—having another digimon on the team would really be a good thing.

Kazu headed back towards the group, leaving Rika once again alone with Cronus.

"Destroyer, huh?" Rika mumbled, trying to start some conversation again. "Sounds a little too tacky to be any real threat, I say."

"Yeah," Cronus nodded. "You're probably right."

"The name mean anything to you?"

"Destroyer?" Cronus shook his head. "No, never heard it before."

"Oh, well." Rika concluded, deciding not to worry about it then and there. "We should probably get some sleep, though, I bet you a dollar Henry'll wake us all up early."

Cronus nodded, and the two headed back to the others. A minute later, Cronus was laying down, as were most of the other Tamers. Rika sat, breaking sticks, and tossing them into the fire. Only Kazu sat across from her, doing the same thing, and soon enough, he too, retired and lay down.

Rika looked to her right, and saw Ryo's head was flat on the ground, not even cushioned by his arm. She frowned, before she turned to her backpack and pulled out a towel she'd brought. Her hair took for-damn-ever to dry, _clearly_ she was going to bring a towel. And, in this case, it was handy for other stuff, too. She opened it up and re-folded it to a slightly more comfortable size for a pillow, carefully lifted Ryo's head with one hand, and slid the cloth under it before she set him down.

She saw him open his eyes a little, and he smiled at her.

"Thanks, Rika." He murmured, so slurred that it was virtually incoherent, before he closed his eyes again and went back to sleep. He probably wasn't even awake for it. She smiled a little at him.

Rika turned back to the fire, and tossed another piece of a stick in. She wondered the time, but gave up when she realized she had no equipment on her capable of measuring it in any useful way since a 24-hour clock didn't really seem to apply. Reluctantly, she curled her arm behind her head, and closed her eyes.

* * *

I hoped you liked it…I wrote two sets of dialogue that could be used for the end, one between Rika and Cronus, and the other between Rika and Ryo. The Rika/Ryo one wound up with Ryo trying to tell Rika that he heard the same voices that Cronus probably heard before Kazu interrupts. After Kazu left, though, it led to them keeping more secrets from each other than I was comfortable with, so I scrapped it and did the Cronus dialogue, which still had Ryuki-parts to it.

Anyways, the next chapter's a Ryo-centered one. Review!

-N


	4. Tummy Aches

**Previously:**

"We can go anywhere you want." Ryo explained. "Back to the States, the UK, Australia, anywhere you want to go, we'll go there."

"Why?" Will asked slowly, looking at the small globe carefully.

"'Cause there's nothing holding us here."

Will looked from the globe, to Ryo, then back to the globe, then back to Ryo.

"I like it here." Will said nervously.

"That's okay too." Ryo finally said, smiling.

But Will didn't smile back. "Isn't there anything here for _you_, though?"

/ / /

"We were friends." Rika declared softly. "I know that much."

"I want more than that." Ryo admitted. Sure, he was pushing his luck. Sure it was selfish, and sure it was inappropriate. But it was honesty. For once.

"Maybe if we give it enough time." She answered eventually.

/ / /

"A crater?" Rika questioned. "Caused by what?"

"I'm not sure." Reed shrugged. "I've seen some pretty crazy stuff in the digital world…I saw a whole village of robot-types just last week."

/ / /

"Have you ever been in love?" Cronus asked suddenly, and though Rika _should _have been expecting it, it still took her off guard.

She wanted to be honest with him, but she had to evaluate it herself. "Yeah. I think so."

Cronus looked curious, and he spoke again. "Are you still?" he asked.

Here, Rika didn't have an answer for him, except for a defeated shrug. "I'm not sure."

He turned away from her, looking at his shoelaces. "I think Ryo loves you very much."

/ / /

"We just got contacted by Yamaki." Kazu told them. He had those pages analyzed."

"What did they come up with?" Cronus asked, stepping forward. Rika stood up, looking at Kazu.

"Looks like there's something new for us to look out for. He sounds like fun…he's called The Destroyer?"

"The Destroyer?" Rika was just confused.

/ / /

"The name mean anything to you?"

"Destroyer?" Cronus shook his head. "No, never heard it before."

* * *

**Tummy Aches:**

Ryo flicked the last coin in his pocket, and like all the others, it hit the opposite wall hard, then bounced back a few inches. But not as far as Kazu's best record.

"Crap." Ryo muttered, admitting defeat. As Kazu grinned, Ryo opened his backpack and rummaged through for Kazu's winnings.

"Okay." Takato said conclusively. "Watching that—was officially the most boring experience of my entire existence." Henry nodded in agreement.

Ryo felt his fingers touch its surface, and he pulled his hand out of the bag, presenting the prize: Ryo's last juice box. "Fine, take it." Ryo grumbled, tossing it to Kazu, whose grin hadn't faded.

Kazu caught it, and examined it, before his grin turned to a grimace. "_Peach_ juice?" he said, pretending to be insulted. "Just keep it." He tossed it back to Ryo, who then wore a smile of his own, and reached to remove the straw to open the box, but realized the straw was gone. Ryo then frowned, looking around for it, before he slumped down on the floor, his back against the wall.

He tried to open the small silver seal with his fingernails, but they just weren't sharp enough. Ryo looked up, to see that everyone was staring at him. He hesitantly put the small box down, so as to not look any more incompetent than he already did.

He looked to his right, and Rika snickered, taking the small green container, and poking a little hole in it with her fingernail, before passing it back to him.

"Thanks." He murmured.

"Uh huh."

They'd been waiting for almost three hours. They had found the village that Reed mentioned—it just wasn't exactly as he had described. The village was called Galatea—and while there were certainly a fair number of machine-types there—Clockmon, Missimon, Solarmon—there were actually far more non-machine types.

But, what really made the trip worthwhile was that Guardromon was seen there recently. Two days earlier, actually—he was running an errand for someone in Galatea. Ryo really wasn't that surprised that he was trying to help someone. Guardromon was a born-protector, he just thought things through less than Ryo did. From what Ryo heard, back when Kazu first met Guardomon, he was actually Andromon, but had worked himself to exhaustion helping a tribe of Gekomon that he regressed back to Guardromon. It was very admirable in Ryo's eyes.

Anyways, Renamon had snuck off to track down Guardromon, to see if she could figure out where exactly he ran off to, or at least when he would be back. Ryo was excited for there to be another digimon on the team—they needed all the help they could get. It was strange, though—there were seven human members on the team, and only four of them would have partners—which Ryo felt made it all the more necessary that they find their partners _quickly_.

After they found Guardromon, that just left Terriermon and Cyberdramon. Hopefully, a lead would fall into their laps like it had with Guardromon.

Ryo believed that Reed was telling the truth about the village of machine-types. The way Ryo saw it, is Reed had no intention of them ever leaving the crater, so it just didn't make sense to lie about it. And, apparently, Ryo was right, because it looked like Reed had told the truth about it.

Unfortunately, Ryo was silently wishing he had gone with Renamon to find Guardromon—it was just so _boring_ waiting still. They were waiting for the village's leader to point them to where the next disturbance might be. Takato and Jeri had moved south, but come back empty-handed when they couldn't find the disturbance specifically. Ryo _really_ wished Yamaki would modify the equipment to trace these hot-spots to a little more specific locations—this detective work was a royal pain.

"You know," Kazu said, obviously trying to get some discussion going. "Not that it isn't flattering, but have any of you guys noticed how we always have to sit around because only the 'important' digimon want to talk to us?"

It was true—sort of. Though this was really only their second instance of waiting for it. It just felt like the trillionth.

"Hey, I was wondering." Henry began. "After we get back to the real world, does anyone know what they're going to do?"

_What we're going to do?_

"What do you mean?" Jeri questioned.

"I mean after high school." Henry replied. "By the time we're done here, we're going to need to start applying."

A beat passed where nobody said anything, and Ryo knew exactly why. One by one they admitted that they hadn't given it much thought. Every single one of them was excelling in their classes this year so far, which was fantastic, but nobody wanted to entertain the thought of splitting up after June came by.

Even Ryo said that he hadn't given it any thought—he was lying, however—he just didn't want to share the planning that he had done.

Ryo didn't really want to admit it—and he wouldn't, just then—but he _had_ thought about it before: after his mother had died. Ryo was determined that he would go to school somewhere in Shinjuku. He'd seen enough of the world in his time that he didn't need an excuse to travel somewhere new, and, more importantly, he didn't want Will to have to move again.

After their mother had died, Ryo had made an offer to Will that they could go anywhere in the world that Will wanted to, but he said that he was happy in Shinjuku. That, added to the promise Ryo had made to stick with him, meant he'd be staying there.

It wasn't like it was an extremely detrimental choice he'd made—there was a very prestigious school in Shinjuku, and while Ryo's grades were for the most part, rather high, it was an extremely difficult school to get into. He'd actually discussed it with Yamaki, who had agreed to write a letter of reference for him when the time came. The way Ryo saw it, is if brains and the request of Mitsuo Yamaki didn't get you something, nothing ever would.

"You know…" Henry started quietly, almost sadly. "One of the reasons I wanted to come was because after everyone splits up, this might be our last adventure together."

It took Ryo by surprise, but it was probably the saddest thing he could have thought about. While Ryo's adventures with the group typically meant stress, frustration, the risk of death, and dealing with everyone disagreeing with everyone, his time in the digital world with his friends was the best time of his life. He frowned, and, after a glance up, saw that the thought had cut everyone just as deeply.

It was December—after June, would that _really_ be the end of it? Of everything?

Ryo hadn't asked it out loud, but he didn't need to, because he could tell from everyone's faces that it was what they were wondering themselves, too.

A moment passed where nobody said anything, and even Ryo was trying to think of something to say—some sort of answer.

Jeri, who was sitting to Henry's right, suddenly gives him a little shove.

"Buzzkill." She pouted, accusingly.

It broke the tension a little, and some weak smiles started to appear on their faces. Takato's, however, didn't last.

"I never thought about it like that…" he admitted. "I should have brought Kenta with us."

"Well," Jeri spoke up. "We'll see him when we get back."

"Don't worry about Kenta." Kazu went on. "I got an e-mail from him just a few days before we left, he really needed the vacation he's on."

Ryo realized that he knew better than anybody what it was like to need time away. He felt some guilt inside, however, for not knowing anything was up with Kenta, as he hadn't made much of an effort to find out.

"Did you mention we were coming here?" Ryo asked him.

Kazu shook his head. "Nah. He's better off not knowing. Besides, if he knew he'd come, and he needs to be with his family right now."

"You're sure?" Jeri asked hopefully.

"Who knows him better than me?" Kazu challenged triumphantly.

_Makes sense_.

Kenta was to Kazu what Takato was to Ryo, or what Jeri was to Rika. Ryo understood that. He had always gotten along with Kenta, but it was just never the same kind of trust established as it had between him and Kazu, or Rika and Jeri.

"Still," Takato continued. "I kind of wish he was here. I know it's selfish and all, but I almost wish he was a part of this." Takato frowned. "I guess I'm just worried about after everybody moves away after school ends."

"I'm not that worried about it." Rika admitted.

Ryo was kind of surprised by her reaction—he was, in a way, glad, but also, he was hurt. She didn't worry about it at _all_? Ryo hadn't given it much thought, but in the time he had, he felt terrible about not being able to see his friends when he wanted…even back when he was living in America, he was only gone for a few months, and it felt too long. But—moving away for _good_?

Then again, it was Rika talking, not Ryo. Maybe she just didn't feel the way he did about everyone, maybe she—

"I mean," she went on, "I think it's a guarantee that we'll all keep in touch, won't we?"

Ryo felt a sudden wave of relief wash over him. He decided he wouldn't say anything about it, but Ryo was actually upset about what Rika had said before if she had meant what he had misinterpreted.

"Yeah!" Jeri added excitedly. She gave Henry a slightly harder push than before, and a bigger grin. "Ha! Captain Buzzkill fails to ruin the mood."

Henry just laughed and then smiled. "Yeah, I think we've all been through too much to ever really lose each other."

Kazu nodded, and the mood really did seem lighter. Ryo himself really did feel better about it…he didn't feel like they'd forget about him after everything. It was more reassurance than Ryo could have expected, or hoped for.

Even Takato didn't look so mind-numbingly depressed, which made Ryo himself feel better.

Ryo noticed that in all this time, Cronus hadn't said a word. He was just sitting there, staring at the floor. And, apparently, Kazu had noticed it, too.

"What about you, Cronus?" Kazu asked him.

Cronus just shrugged, and didn't say a word—he almost looked embarrassed for not having anything to say, but Ryo understood that it must be overwhelming. Takato's parents had enrolled Cronus in online courses before September, which allowed Cronus to work at his own pace—which, fortunately, allowed him to get his first three years of high school credits in just a few months.

But obviously, Cronus hadn't thought about post-secondary education. Ryo didn't say anything, but he really hoped that Cronus would be going somewhere that at least one of the other Tamers would be going—he got the impression that Cronus really didn't want to be alone.

"Well Mr. Proactive." Jeri said to Henry, teasingly. "Have _you_ started looking at schools?"

Henry tried to hide a smile, and kind of bowed his head, scratching his hair.

_He definitely has._

"Well, yeah." Henry finally admitted. "I've looked around, but to be honest, I don't really know what I'm looking for…nothing's going to really feel like home unless everyone's there."

Rika nods, adding "That's normal to feel like that…isn't it?"

Takato spoke up, challengingly. "Name one thing in our lives that's 'normal'."

Ryo bit his tongue to hide the smile. Digital monsters, portals to other worlds, conspiracies, and a totally legitimate reason to be out of school for a month.

_I _love_ my life._

He really did. Maybe after everything he'd show Will the digital world—

—Ryo's planning was interrupted by the door swinging open, and Guardromon charging in.

"Kazu!" he said, charging in clumsily, stomping on Ryo's half-drank juice-box as he passed.

Kazu leapt up and charged over to Guardromon.

"Guardromon!" Kazu cheered. "You big, beautiful bot you—"

The scene went on for a while. Renamon had come in right behind him, shaking her head with a little smile at the two, who looked like a pair of kids—Kazu was literally jumping in his excitement.

"Everyone," Renamon started, clearly unhappy about having to interrupt their reunion. "The leader will see us now."

_About friggin' time._

Renamon led the team out of the house they were in, and Ryo once again got a look at the village of Galatea. It was a small city, really. The buildings actually looked like real houses, and not just huts—it was one of the more technologically advanced habitats Ryo had ever seen in the digital world.

"Oh, okay, so get this." Kazu went on, ignoring everyone around him. "So Takato goes down with the lab and disappears for like three friggin' months, and we all think he's dead, right? Then _poof_, he's back, and that guy over there? That's Guilmon-turned-human, and Kenta couldn't come 'cause he's out of town with his family—I'll tell you later, and did you know Ryo drinks _peach_ juice? He's such a girl. And—"

It actually went on non-stop until they arrived at the house Renamon was talking about. It looked very similar to the others, but after Ryo looked back at many of the other buildings, he noticed that while the architecture was virtually identical, this building was actually a good bit taller.

Renamon pushed the door open, and stepped inside, followed by Rika, Takato, then Ryo, then the others—

—and Ryo's stomach did that thing it always did when he got a really bad feeling.

The leader of Galatea was a Gaomon. An evolution away from a Gaogamon—the type of digimon that attacked him and Cronus back under Sarian. Ryo really didn't have any reason to be scared—the attack under Sarian was a misunderstanding. The Gaomon was an admittedly cute digimon. It was basically a blue puppy dog with a headband and boxing gloves. Ryo'd encountered a few before, and they all seemed very quiet, but when they spoke it was with a certain kind of tranquility.

"Hello, there." He said with a nod. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

Ryo bit his tongue.

"Hello sir," Jeri started. "We're tracking down a number of disturbances in the digital world that might be a threat to your people, and we were hoping to get your help in locating one."

Jeri was good at talking with people. Takato'd told Ryo that it was enough to get Yamaki to allow her to come. But hell, she had the patience to deal with anyone, so by all means—she was certainly better at it than Ryo was; lately, anyways.

The Gaomon questioned for specifics of what exactly they had come for, of course, so several more minutes were spent having Jeri explain it very specifically. She showed him a data spike, and explained to him that when activated, it would correct the corrupt data, and they could move on.

"What consequences do these disturbances have?" Gaomon asked hesitantly, returning the data spike to Jeri.

"They could be anything from the plants around it growing differently, to earthquakes, to erratic behavior of the nearby life—" Jeri answered. "But they contribute to something bigger, and if left unchecked, they'll grow. So, I'm sure you understand the importance of the work we're doing here."

Gaomon looked her over for a moment before examining each of the rest of them.

"Well…" he began calmly. "I can see that you're in good company." He finished, looking at Renamon and Guardromon. "…there's a temple just south of here. There's been a lot of—hostile behavior coming from there lately."

"Alright, sir," Jeri said gratefully. "Would you be able to tell us specifically where it is?"

Gaomon looked at her, his expression still not changing. "Puroromon?"

A high-pitched buzzing of an insect's wings could be heard, and Ryo turned to see his friends parting, making way for a flying digimon, no bigger than Terriermon. It was a Puroromon, and was essentially a giant bee. It would have looked threatening if it didn't have such a gigantic smile on its face all the time.

The Puroromon was so talkative during the hike that it put Kazu to shame. He was like most of the friendlier digimon Ryo had encountered back in his adventures—friendly towards humans, and fascinated and awestruck hearing of the real world.

Nobody seemed to mind that he was there—Ryo was really glad to get a reminder that it wasn't just the Tamers' partners that were on good terms with humans.

"Here we are!" Puroromon said cheerfully.

Ryo looked around. There was _nothing_ there—a few bushes, a tree—nothing _useful_. He looked to Rika, who looked as perplexed as he did. Ryo then turned to Takato, who was looking at the tracking device.

"This is where we were." Jeri spoke up. "The reading's saying it's right nearby, but I don't see—"

Jeri stopped mid-sentence, as she stared at the entrance to the temple, just meters away. It was essentially a tall stone block, and in its doorway, a stairwell could be seen leading downwards.

"That wasn't _there_ before." She protested to Puroromon.

"Nope!" he replied happily. "The digignomes keep it hidden from everyone unless one of the people from our village wants to share it. Cool, huh?"

"Yeah, it's fantastic." Takato sighed, glad but frustrated. "Anyways, we appreciate your help, Puroromon."

"Happy to be of." He replied.

"Well, let's get going, guys." Henry said. Ryo nodded, and they all headed towards the entrance."

"No!" Puroromon buzzed, flying in front of them. "Only two!"

"Only two?" Jeri asked.

"It's a rule!" he replied. "Only two people can enter this place!"

"Why?" Kazu asked.

"It's tradition!" he said, as if it was an adequate explanation. "It won't _let_ more than two go in!"

_That's—ridiculous…_

"But don't worry!" Puroromon went on. "There's a console in there that opens the door after that opens the door so you can get back out. You just need to touch it."

Screw asking 'why', when he knew he'd have to keep asking it again and again.

"I should go." Ryo blurted.

"Why?" Cronus asked, curiously.

"Because, I'm—" Ryo thought for a moment, looking around, seeing that his friends, too, were waiting. "Taller." He finished unsatisfactorily.

"_I'm_ taller than you." Renamon challenged.

"I can extend my legs approximately twenty-six inches…" Guardromon said proudly, demonstrating.

"Is this _seriously_ how we're going to figure this out?" Takato asked, despairingly.

It took some discussion, and several coin-flips later, it was agreed that Rika and Henry would go.

"Okay." Takato nodded. "You've got some data spikes? Good luck."

Ryo looked at them. "We're not reading any life signals from down there, so it should be clear, but be careful."

* * *

Ryo stood up, took a few paces, then flopped back down again. He was getting bored. And frustrated. And worried. And some unique combinations of the three.

"Don't worry." Takato said to him. "They'll open the door when they're done in there."

"What's _taking_ them so long?" Ryo was getting restless. Rika and Henry had been in there way longer than he was expecting. A glance to his watch indicated it had only been a couple of minutes, but time sure felt different when you were on the edge of your seat, figuratively speaking.

"I'm sure they're okay, Ryo." Jeri told him, reassuringly. Logically, Ryo _shouldn't_ be getting so worried, not as early as he had. He tried calming himself down, but just couldn't stop pacing.

"Why's it that only two can go in, again?" Ryo asked anybody who would listen.

"It's—customary." Renamon answered. "I'm not any happier about it than you are, but if we are to help the beings here, we must respect them, too."

Ryo knew she was right, he just—didn't like it. He stared at the stone door to the entrance of the underground temple. Why couldn't he have gone with her? Where he could have been keeping an eye on her?

_She doesn't need you protecting her._

Ryo didn't get a chance to think about it anymore when the door suddenly opened. Everybody crowded around, and looked inside, as they waited for Rika and Henry to come out.

But they didn't.

Ryo charged in, breathing heavily as he felt his way through the tunnel. He knew that everyone was behind him, Renamon was even at his side—and in an instant, they were at what appeared to be the main room of the temple. There was a data spike driven into the middle of it, and, collapsed on the floor around it, were Henry and Rika.

Ryo felt his heart stop as he ran to her, and didn't feel his heart start beating again until he felt her pulse.

"She's alive." He called to them. "Henry?"

"Alive, but he's out." Takato called back.

"R-Ryo?" the girl in his arms whispered weakly.

"Rika?" he replied in disbelief. "Rika!"

The disbelief turned to panic, however, when she suddenly grabbed his head with all her might, and stared at him, and he saw the terror on her face.

"It's coming, Ryo." She whispered. "It's coming."

With that, she was out again, and while Ryo still couldn't bring her about, he fortunately still felt her pulse.

"Rika!" he called to her, shaking her gently.

He looked to the others, who were staring on with a shocked awe. Ryo knew that none of them knew, either, and he just turned back to Rika for some sign of consciousness.

_What in the hell happened to you…?_

Ryo picked her up, and he saw Kazu help left Henry onto Takato's back.

"No!" Jeri shouted.

"Jeri?" Takato called. Jeri came running back into the room.

"We're locked in!"

"More than two." Takato whispered, his eyes widening.

"The console?" Ryo suggested, looking towards it, Rika still in his arms.

"No use." Renamon answered. "It's broken."

_Damn it._

"Whatever happened to them must have knocked it out." Cronus concluded.

"How can we get out?" Jeri asked desperately.

"Guardomon?" Kazu asked.

"Yes?"

Kazu pointed to the ceiling.

"We're barely underground. Start shooting, and don't stop."

"Of course." Guardromon's arms retraced and the missile launchers on his arms opened up. Ryo took a step back, and Renamon stepped in front of him, as if prepared to shield him. "Guardian Barrage!"

The missiles hissed and spun around and shot into the ceiling, and, by the end of the assault, most of the ceiling had been reduced to dust, and a clear path to the surface was just above them.

* * *

"Whatever caused this is something in the digital world, not ours." Ryo could hear Takato read Yamaki's message. "There's got to be a cure for Rika and Henry there somewhere."

_We need answers. Rika needs answers._

"I'm going to go back to the village to get some info." Ryo said, looking at Takato, then to Jeri, then to Renamon, then to Henry, and finally to Rika. "Look after her for me."

With that, he hurried away from the camp, not bothering to pick up his backpack.

How could this have happened? This was _exactly_ what was _not_ supposed to happen. This was supposed to be _simple_. Ryo angrily kicked a stone on the ground as he walked, sending it flying.

He should have been there. They should _all_ have been there. If Rika or Henry hadn't been able to activate the console—if they hadn't opened the door, they would still be in there, unconscious, alone, and probably worse off than they were.

"Shit!" he sighed angrily.

He picked up his pace, realizing he'd be second-guessing himself the duration of his traveling, so he determined that he might as well hurry up even more.

Ryo had been walking for five minutes before he noticed out of the corner of his eye that someone was just a few paces behind him. He turned, annoyed, to see Cronus, who stopped in his tracks as soon as he caught Ryo's gaze.

"Look Cronus," Ryo said as neutrally as he could, though he wasn't masking his frustration very well. "I _really_ would rather be alone right now."

Cronus's gaze narrowed, and he spoke very clearly—very calmly. "It doesn't _matter_ what you want—they could be dying."

Ryo's gut twisted, and his body hurt all over with the thought. He glared at Cronus, who stared back at him with no visible emotion—only determination on his face. Ryo's logic soon got the better of him. "Let's go."

Neither of them spoke until the village of Galatea was in sight. Ryo almost didn't remember which building Gaomon was in, but it came back to him as soon as it came into view. A look to Cronus was all the confirmation he needed before he pushed the door open.

The Gaomon was occupied with something, his back facing Ryo and Cronus as they entered. Ryo soon saw that he was re-tying his red headband. He turned, and looked at them, with a smile as he finished the knot.

"Oh, hello."

"Something happened to Rika and Henry down there." Ryo said flatly. "We need to know how to cure them."

"That's very unfortunate…" Gaomon said, sadly. "But I'm sorry, nothing like that has ever happened here before. We don't know any more than you do about this."

Ryo felt his mouth dry out, as he stared hopelessly at the Gaomon.

_No. I'm not losing Rika._

"You _know_ a way to save them—you _have_ to—" Ryo began, anger growing.

The Gaomon lowered his gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry."

Ryo felt his fingernails dig into his palms, and he slammed his fist hard against the door, and it swung open, and Ryo stormed outside.

He suddenly felt lightheaded—difficult to breathe—he panted as he caught his breath, and fell to his knees hopelessly.

_What can I do…?_

"_He's lying."_ A familiar voice told him, flatly. It was _the_ voice. The one from the forest, that warned him to run away before they were attacked. The one nobody heard but Ryo—

—but when Ryo looked to Cronus, who had the same look of shock on his face, he knew that this time he wasn't alone.

"You heard that?" Ryo asked, standing up, looking around.

Cronus nodded, looking both confused and terrified.

"_In the house—underneath the bed, there's a box. It's in there."_

"Who are you?" Ryo asked.

…No answer—no surprise, really. Ryo looked to Cronus, who seemed to be absorbing it just as slowly as Ryo.

"No harm in checking, right…?" Cronus whispered hopefully.

_None at all._

Ryo turned back to the door, and advanced on it without hesitation. He pushed it open, and stepped inside. Cronus hurried past him, and backed the Gaomon against the wall, keeping himself between the Gaomon and Ryo—giving Ryo the time he needed to crouch down and pull the box from under the bed.

"What are you doing?" Gaomon demanded.

It wasn't very big. It was wooden, and it was definitely longer than it was wide, and it wasn't very tall. He turned it around, seeing no way of opening it. He kept feeling around until he found the edges, which he tore at with great force. The wood started to split, and he could hear the Gaomon struggle to get past Cronus as Ryo kept ripping away until he could see what was inside—and it was a data spike.

It looked almost identical to the ones that Yamaki had given them—except instead of being clear, this spike was translucent and red. Ryo looked at it for a moment, and saw that it was actually glowing, his hands, too, appearing red in its light.

"What is this?" Ryo demanded, looking from the data spike to Gaomon.

"That's a very important artifact in our village!" Gaomon growled. "You have no right to touch it!"

"What does it _do_?" Cronus asked, pushing him back against the wall.

"If that artifact is activated, every digimon with history in this village that isn't a machine type will _die_."

_Die…?_

"It will take the sickness out of your friends, and _into_ all of us."

There were a _lot_ of digimon there that weren't machine types—at least a hundred. They'd all die…?

Ryo's line of thought was broken as Cronus slammed the Gaomon back against the wall.

"You're lying." He accused. Instead of defending his words, however, the Gaomon swung his gloved fist hard into Cronus's face, and he stumbled backwards. He dove at Ryo next, but Ryo was quicker, and managed to push himself away.

Ryo took a step back, clenching the data spike hard.

"Back off, or I swear I'll use it." Ryo threatened.

The Gaomon scrambled to his feet, and stared at Ryo with utter hatred—and then started glowing.

_Oh, no—_

"Gaomon digivolve to—"

Ryo really wasn't in the mood to fight another Gaogamon—

—the transformation was cut short by a loud dull sound, and Gaomon dropped to the floor unconscious, Cronus standing behind him with a shovel in hand.

"Let's get outta here." Ryo suggested, and Cronus nodded.

There was slightly more discussion on the way back than there was on the way there. Obviously, they talked about the red data spike—Gaomon said it was an artifact of the village's, but the concept of the data spikes themselves was something Yamaki came up with specifically for the mission—wasn't it?

He said it'd kill any non-machine types that lived there—that ruled out both Renamon and Guardromon…but could Ryo really use it?

They were just a few minutes from their own camp before Cronus got too excited about it.

"Okay, activate it." Cronus suggested, staring at the data spike.

Ryo hesitated.

"You're not going to use it?" Cronus asked inquisitively.

Ryo really didn't know. He loved Rika, with all his heart—but would she _want_ him to kill hundreds of innocents when there might be another way?

"I just—I don't know if I can look at her in the eye and tell her that I killed an entire city to save her."

He looked at the data spike, which looked even brighter in the dark. He looked then to Cronus, who was looking at him thoughtfully.

"I understand." He said understandingly, lowering his gaze again to the data spike, then back to Ryo.

Cronus slowly put his hand on it, and before Ryo knew what was happening, Cronus raised his knee hard into Ryo's gut. Instinctively, he doubled over, his grip on the data spike loosening, which slipped from his grip as Cronus snatched it. And before Ryo could say anything, Cronus carefully pushed his foot against Ryo's chest, knocking him back forcefully but painlessly.

By the time Ryo had sat up, Cronus had already activated the data spike. A giant wave of red was sent out in all directions, and a moment later it was gone, as quickly as it had come. Ryo stared at him, and Cronus looked back, almost ashamed.

"Now you won't have to tell her." Cronus declared.

"Cronus…" Ryo whispered, staring at the data spike.

Cronus sat down, his back facing Ryo. "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"Don't worry about it." Ryo replied impulsively, rubbing his stomach. "Why did you…?"

"Earlier you were all talking about what you wanted to do in the future." Cronus explained quietly as Ryo sat down next to him. "And I understand that almost nobody gets to live out the lives they plan for themselves…but I think people deserve every chance."

…_Wow._

Not what he was expecting to hear. Cronus was right though, wasn't he? Rika and Henry _did_ deserve to do what they wanted with their lives. Ryo realized that Cronus was looking at him, for some kind of confirmation or validation, and Ryo soon nodded, and Cronus again looked ahead.

They sat in silence for a moment, while Ryo thought things over. He wouldn't tell the others. Even if Cronus hadn't done it, Ryo knew that he would have. He couldn't lose his friends.

"Ryo…?" Cronus asked slowly, but suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Will feeling love…" Cronus said, his voice barely above a whisper. "…make me—complete?"

Ryo didn't know what to say.

"Cronus…?"

Cronus stood up, dusting the dirt off of his pants. "Forget it. Let's get back to the others."

Ryo didn't say anything on the way back, and he felt absolutely terrible because of it—Cronus had gone and taken a huge burden for Ryo, but Ryo couldn't even answer a question for him.

"Hey, Ryo." Rika said, sitting up as he approached her.

"Rika…" Ryo sighed with relief, throwing his arms around her. After a moment, he felt her wrap her arms around him, and he held her for a moment before he broke away. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Yeah, me too." She answered. "Um, do you wanna go for a walk?"

"Are you sure you should?" Ryo asked, though he was already helping her up.

Rika nodded. "I just want to get back on my feet again."

They started walking, and Ryo gave a glance back to Henry, just to assure himself that he was alright, too.

They walked for a few moments, though they didn't speak until they were out of earshot of the other Tamers at the camp.

"Do you remember anything?" Ryo asked.

Ryo was hoping to get some information on what Rika warned him was 'coming'.

"No…I remember we activated the data spike, and then waking up at camp."

_She doesn't remember. No use pushing it, I guess._

"So…" Rika started. "I want to thank you for saving me. That _was_ you, wasn't it?"

"What makes you think it was me?" Ryo asked curiously.

"Well, I wake up, and I find out that you'd left to find a way to fix Henry and me." Rika explained. "And two plus two—"

"I'm just glad you made it to the console in time to get the door open so we could get in."

"You know, I've been thinking." Rika suddenly said, ignoring his thought, the tone in her voice lifting.

"Woah, that _is_ new." Ryo teased. She gave him a little shove with her shoulder.

"I was thinking about everything that happened…"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "And I've been thinking…even if there is something bigger going on than we know…even if something's coming—I don't think we're alone in this."

"Why's that?"

"Because of what happened back in the temple." Rika answered. "Neither Henry or I made it to the console."

Ryo stopped, looking at her. "What?"

She looked him in the eye. "Henry was down just before I was…and neither of us were anywhere near the console."

_Why am I so surprised? I already _know_ something's looking out for us—the voice_.

"Huh." Ryo murmured thoughtfully as he thought it over. It was a really comforting thought, that they were being looked out for. He just never really thought about it that way.

"Anyways," Rika went on, starting to walk again. "There's something else."

"And what's that?"

Rika stopped, cutting her pace short, even though she'd only taken a few steps.

"You saved me." Rika said plainly. "I owe you one."

Ryo looked her quizzically. "We're not keeping _score_, Rika—"

"Yeah, well, still." She smiled, but went on. "Whenever _you_ need help, I promise I'll be there, okay?"

Ryo smiled heartily. "Deal."

* * *

"There's something I'd like to know."

"What?"

"That one in their group…Cronus Matsuda…is he the one?"

"He has his role to play—just like the rest of them. And just like you."

"You seem awfully confident."

"You honestly think their actions have any meaning?"

"No, I guess they don't."

"You understand _nothing_, human."

"I'm going to tell you this just once, _'Ged'_" he snarled, his voice dripping with contempt. "My name is Reed."

Reed knew he hated being called that—almost as much as Reed hated being jerked around by some shadowy figure on a power trip who was too scared to show his face.

"Very well. But it is irrelevant. The ripples caused by their actions will one day grow to waves, and they will be swallowed in their helplessness."

Reed turned to leave, but then turned back to the figure on the screen. "Ryo Akiyama has one weakness."

"As do you."

"He'd follow Rika Nonaka to hell," Reed continued, ignoring what Ged had said. "and, figuratively speaking, it's only a matter of time before he does."

"Yes," the figure pondered. "I've noticed the same applies to their leader, and to the weak one—Jeri Kato."

"She's got more potential than you think." Reed snapped. "She was a primary figure in the D-Reaper incident that occurred in Shinjuku almost two years ago."

"Really…" the figure replied thoughtfully.

"Tell me the importance of Cronus Matsuda."

"That—abomination?" Ged hissed in contempt. "He must either return to his true form and join us, or he must endure the less—_desirable_ fate. In any case, he must be kept away from Ryo Akiyama and Rika Nonaka as soon as possible."

"Whatever." Reed replied, rolling his eyes. "Let's get to work."

* * *

Review, please! I wrote two full versions of this chapter, and I think I liked this one better…anyways, things are picking up!

Let me know what you thought, and if you're interested, I uploaded a spoiler-free chapter guide to this series in my profile; it's got some brief outlines about each chapter—the ones that are up, and the ones that will be coming—and which character will star in them. Oh, here's the teaser for the next chapter, which is called 'Time Lapse'. It's going to be a little weird, but it's going to make a big step for the main story.

-N


	5. Time Lapse

Sorry about the delay, enjoy!

-N

**Previously:**

"But Takato…" Yamaki started.

"Yes?"

Yamaki sighed a little, evidently at a loss of what to say.

"I understand that you and Jeri have feelings for each other, but she doesn't have a partner."

"I know."

"Then why bring her along?"

/ / /

Cronus's teeth were grit, and he was breathing heavily through them as everyone examined the wound, unsure of what to do.

"What do we do?" Rika asked Renamon, who shook her head, defeated.

"Move." The boy spoke flatly. He approached them and placed his hand on Rika's shoulder, and—for whatever reason—she abided and stepped back. He had a syringe of some kind in his left hand.

He wrapped his right hand around the hilt of the blade, and looked Cronus square in the eye. "This is going to hurt for a second."

Cronus just nodded, and the boy yanked the blade out as Cronus screamed, the blood dripping rapidly to the dirt. Rika watched on anxiously as the boy quickly injected the needle into Cronus's hand—

—and as if in instantly, the wound closed up, leaving not even a scar.

/ / /

"Here they are." Reed declared to the creature. "Now, tell me where."

The creature just gave a stifled laugh, but no real answer.

"_Tell me_!" Reed almost screamed as he took an advancing step on the creature.

"Do you really think he'd be safer?" the creature's deep, throaty voice hissed. "With _you_?"

Reed growled—a growl that turned into a shouting scream, and at the peak of it, Rika saw something she'd never seen before—Reed's hand—his right hand ignited with a red flame.

/ / /

Reed turned to leave, but then turned back to the figure on the screen. "Ryo Akiyama has one weakness."

"As do you."

"He'd follow Rika Nonaka to hell," Reed continued, ignoring what Ged had said. "and, figuratively speaking, it's only a matter of time before he does."

"Yes," the figure pondered. "I've noticed the same applies to their leader, and to the weak one—Jeri Kato."

"She's got more potential than you think." Reed snapped.

* * *

**Time Lapse:**

"So…" Kazu murmured. "Has anyone _else_ noticed that every grain of sand here looks the exact same?"

Jeri grinned. She was bored as _hell_, but Kazu's complaining was keeping her in high spirits. The walk was admittedly dull. So far, Kazu had managed to suggest that they find a way to import a car from the real world, to call ahead when they were going to a disturbance so that a series of conveyer belts could be installed, and having Yamaki transport them directly _to_ the disturbances rather than making them walk.

Of course, Ryo, Rika, and Takato all took turns shooting down his ideas, on the grounds that a car wouldn't be practical on the frequently changing terrain—not to mention a lack of a fuel source, the idea of conveyer belts was just dumb, and that Yamaki transporting them wherever wouldn't work because stabilizing the portals to and from the digital world cost a fortune to do per second, let alone for seven people very frequently.

Jeri didn't really mind the complaining though, and she didn't think anyone else did either. It was at least some amusing, _safe_ conversation. Jeri considered it safe because after what had happened to Rika and Henry two days before—the Tamers had all sat around for a good while talking about the future and what their plans were, and a few hours later Rika and Henry had almost died. At least Ryo and Cronus had been able to find a cure for them in time.

At least they had found Guardromon out of it. That alone might be enough to balance the risk Rika and Henry had faced—Jeri felt horrible for thinking it, but it _did_ make sense. Before they found Guardromon in Galatea, Renamon had had to protect seven humans on her own, and Jeri had noticed she'd seemed awfully on edge since she rejoined the group back at Sarian.

What she particularly noticed was that Renamon had been most noticeably discontent with was Cronus. Jeri was proud of herself for observing it, even if she did feel bad for Cronus about it. Jeri had actually talked to Renamon about Guilmon's transformation—it was evident that Renamon had been even more shocked to hear it than anyone else—except for maybe Cronus himself.

When Jeri had confronted her about it, Renamon had confided in her that she didn't believe that Cronus was really Guilmon.

She really didn't know what to say. Jeri was used to listening to friends vent, so she just allowed Renamon to do the talking, and she would just be there for them. Jeri _did_ believe that Cronus was Guilmon, so she didn't have much to say in response to it. Jeri could imagine, however, that it would be alarming for Renamon—since it would be an even bigger change from a digimon's perspective. And, in Renamon's case, it was a very negative perspective. At one point in the discussion Renamon had referred to Cronus as an 'abomination'.

She didn't know quite what to think about it. It seemed like an awfully harsh thing to say, so she convinced herself that it was something Renamon would just have to grow to accept.

The team was traveling south, which just happened to involve crossing the most boring scenery imaginable. Twice, actually…the locator took them to a small village with a large stone temple, but they just—couldn't get in. There just wasn't a door…they even had Renamon go up top to look on the roof, but it was completely sealed in from all sides. They asked around in the village, and found out that they'd have to get permission from the Wendigomon that lived up north.

He'd been a real difficult digimon to deal with. He slammed the door in their faces at least three times before Jeri thought to put her foot in it before he could. It worked—turns out that the Wendigomon had more respect for people who were a little more aggressive. Jeri'd managed to convince him to open the gate for them—which, as it turned out, was activated remotely, so he didn't have to go with them—and she got him to give her a map of that whole area.

Crossing the deserty area was definitely the shortest route, and they were on the clock, so none of them thought that they should have taken the longer, scenic, _easier_ route.

Jeri was just glad that she had finally been able to do something useful. Lately, she'd felt that she hadn't been able to make any bit of difference in the mission…Takato, Henry, and Ryo didn't have their partners with them, but they all seemed to be at least a lot more involved than Jeri had. She'd felt like—like she was holding them back.

What she felt good about, though, was everyone was so proud of her for talking down the Wendigomon that they wanted her to be the one to activate the data spike…it wasn't a big competition or anything, but she knew everyone was at least keeping track…Ryo had one, and so did Cronus. They'd only been in the digital world for just under a week, but it felt like they had been remarkably unproductive. She'd mentioned it to Takato when he had asked her why she looked so down a day or two back, but he said that they'd at least made a difference in those places, which was better than nothing. It seemed like they were settling, but it did make sense.

It didn't seem like too long of a walk for Jeri, and before all too long, she was where she was supposed to be. The door was where it wasn't before—it was now clearly visible, and Jeri somehow knew it would open when they wanted it to.

"What about cell phones?" Kazu suddenly suggested. "No—_megaphones_."

Jeri laughed at the image of Kazu parading around demanding that the conveyer belts be built in time.

"Takato, can we call it a day after this one?" Ryo asked. "Not to agree with Kazu or anything, but my feet are _killing_ me."

Ryo had sweat dripping down the side of his face, like most of the Tamers did. It made his hair look shinier than usual. He was holding a bottle of orange juice Rika'd given him earlier.

Jeri _really_ hoped those two would just solve their differences already. Jeri had seen the way they looked at each other, and hiding behind the mission…they were just being a pair of—

"Whiners." Takato teased with a grin. "Yeah, I think some rest'd do us good. This shouldn't take us long, anyways. You ready, Jeri?"

"Yep." Jeri affirmed.

She hopped up the steps to the door and pushed it hard, and it swung open. She smiled towards it, where nobody could see it.

_Bingo._

Jeri stepped towards the disturbance, the data spike in her small hand. Takato stood behind her, a gentle smile on his face. She looked to him for some form of permission before she took another step towards the center of the room. Behind Takato stood Ryo, Cronus, Rika, Renamon, Henry, Kazu, and Guardromon.

_I should really hurry this along._

Jeri glanced at the disturbance as she arrived at it, the circular hole which seemed to lead to an unending blackness, and then to the prism-like cone that she knew contained the data needed to correct this sector of the digital world. She quickly put the data spike over the stone, where the disturbance could be seen, and lowered it.

"_Stop!"_

"Huh?" Jeri said, halting, spinning around. Her friends' faces wore looks of puzzlement, but Jeri herself knew hers was the most confused.

"Something wrong?" Takato asked, concerned.

Jeri looked to him, and to each of her friends. She had the sudden worry that she was hearing things, but chalked it up to the high pressure she—hell, that they all were under.

"No, I guess I'm just a little shaky." Jeri admitted.

"We'll get some rest after this one." Takato said with a smile and a nod. "Want me to do it?"

"No, I'll need to do it myself eventually." She replied. "Just slam it in?"

"Yeah." Ryo confirmed.

Jeri turned back to the port, and lowered the spike quickly before she could lose her nerve.

"_This one isn't like the others!"_

She let out a gasp, but it was too late—the data spike had already touched the stone, and it went in all by itself.

When the blinding light subsided, Jeri felt her fingers touch her palm—and where there was just moments ago—a data spike—there was nothing.

"What's—" Jeri spun around, and, to her surprise, she was alone.

Completely alone.

"Takato?" she called her voice echoing in the tall stone building. "Rika? Henry?"

She was still in the temple, but—_they_ weren't. What was going on?

_No, something's different here—_

It was _darker_. A look up, and she saw that all the windows up high were either broken or covered I dirt—no, in ash.

She hurried towards the door, before she lost her nerve.

When she stepped outside, her skin crawled. And the temple she'd entered wasn't the same one she'd left. Where before, there stood buildings, there was now just rubble. The sky was grey, and there was just so much destruction.

_What on earth is going on…?_

She heard a whimpering. She spun around to see a huddled human, mumbling and twitching.

"C—ca—c—" he stammered. Jeri rushed over to him.

"Are you okay?" she demanded. He had no visible injuries that she could notice, at least not serious ones. He had scratches and scars all over, but he didn't seem to be wounded seriously.

"Carter—I have to find—I" he went on, ignoring her. "I have to…" the boy's head moved erratically, bobbing and tipping in all sorts of directions. "Carter…"

She looked at him. Messy blonde hair, blue eyes, good looks, little bit of facial hair—she knew who it was.

"Your name's Reed, isn't it?"

"R—Reed…?" he stammered incoherently.

_No use. Wait! Rika said he used some sort of serum to heal Cronus._

He was wearing a navy long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black jeans, both of which were covered in dirt. He wasn't wearing a backpack or carrying anything, and Jeri had the feeling that she didn't have any time to waste, so she reached into his pocket and pulled out three hard plastic vials, each about the size of a battery.

She held one up to her eye, examining it carefully. She could see through it…there was some kind of liquid inside it, but also there was metal. It started to slip between her fingers, but she caught it and squeezed the sides of it—

—and when she did, something happened to it—it _activated_. It extended in just a fraction of a second, and it changed from something the size and shape of a battery to a small syringe.

Jeri looked at it nervously before turning to him, who still shook and rambled incoherently. She lifted his arm, and positioned the needle above the skin on the inside of his elbow.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered as she pushed it in and injected it into him.

He screamed as the needle broke the skin, and turned to where it was going into his arm, then to Jeri, furiously.

In the instant that their eyes met, his hands were already on her neck—the needle still sticking out of his arm—and he was pushing her backwards, to the ground.

"S—stop!" Jeri protested as she struggled to breathe. Her hands found their way to his wrists and she pulled on them hard, and he let go. As he did, he threw himself backwards on the ground, and he looked around himself, nervous and confused.

"Wh—" he talked as if he had just spent several hours in ice water—he was almost shivering as he spoke. "What's going o—on…?"

"I was hoping you'd be able to tell me." Jeri replied calmly. "Do you remember your name?"

"Ta—Tak…?" he struggled. "R—Reed. Reed!" he went on, almost excitedly. "My name is Reed. What's…?"

"I'm Jeri." She introduced herself hurriedly. "What's happened here? Where are we?"

Reed seemed to be reacting to their discussion much more clearly now. "What do you mean _where_?"

Jeri looked around. There was the large grey temple that she'd gone into, but when she came out, it wasn't the same desert-y outside that Kazu had spent so much of the walk complaining about. In fact, it wasn't empty there in any sense…there were only a _few_ buildings when she'd gone in, but now it seemed like she was in the middle of a giant city that was just hit by Godzilla. It was _wrecked_.

Where was she? And where were Takato and the others?

"I mean _where_?" she repeated. "This is new, even for the digital world."

He looked at her, even more confused. "Digital world…?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Jeri accused. "I _know_ you know about the digital world. You tried to hurt Rika, Ryo and Cronus." Jeri really didn't feel like being toyed with by him.

"Wait—you're Jeri _Kato_, aren't you?"

Jeri looked to him. "How do you know my name?"

Reed didn't answer, but instead, whispered "Wow…" in amazement.

"What's so amazing?"

"They had it all wrong…" he murmured to himself."

"_Who_ had _what_ wrong?" Jeri demanded loudly. "Where are we? How do you know my name—what the _hell_ is going on!"

"You've—" he paused, as he searched for the words he was looking for. "You've been gone a long while." He explained. "I'll explain everything, but we need to get out of here."

Jeri's gaze narrowed as her stomach twisted slightly. "Why?"

"It isn't safe."

_What?_

Arguing with him didn't do any good, so she eventually agreed and followed him through the ruins. But something caught her eye along the way—a really tall building, still mostly intact. A building she barely recognized.

_That's—_

"Hypnos…?"

It was. She recognized the smaller buildings around it too. But how did the buildings get to the digital world?

"What?" Reed stopped, looking at her peculiarly.

"Those buildings," Jeri indicated, not looking at him. "I think I recognize them. What's going on?"

"Like I said." Reed said, upset. "I'll explain it all once we're safe."

Soon enough, he led her to a run down building. Across the floor were several large square planks of wood. Reed walked up to the pile and started pulling them aside, and indicated that Jeri should help out.

At a loss for anything _else_ to do, she abided, and an opening in the floor revealed itself, with some kind of light coming from the inside of it.

"What is this place?" she asked, expecting another 'be quiet and just keep moving' from Reed.

"This is my home." He responded.

She followed him down. Inside looked to be the basement of whatever the structure above was. It was a fair size, had a bed, a couch, desk, table, and bookshelves. There really were a lot of books.

_This guy must read a lot._

Reed walked to the bed, and pulled out a bottle of water and some cups from the drawers underneath it.

"Now, tell me what's going on?" Jeri almost pleaded. "What's happened here?"

"You disappeared…about six months ago." Reed said flatly.

"_What?_"

"You went to use one of your team's data spikes." Reed explained. "But that wasn't what you needed to fix the problem. That spot wasn't like the others."

"That wasn't six months ago." Jeri snapped ruder than she typically spoke. "That was twenty minutes ago, tops."

"Twenty minutes…?" Reed looked as confused as Jeri felt.

"Where are we?" she interrupted his obvious thought and contemplativeness.

He paused, looking her over, as if fearfully. "This is what's left of the world."

_What's left?_

"What—" she hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"The walls between the digital and real worlds were shattered a few weeks after you disappeared." Reed was his response.

"_What_!" she demanded. "How? We were using the data spikes to stop that from—" she paused, again. "My friends…did they—fail?"

"The data spikes weren't enough, they never could have been." Reed sneered, ignoring her second question. "They mended the breakdowns on a small scale, sure, but would never have been enough to prevent all of this."

"Well what _did_ cause this?" she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"We called it The Destroyer."

_The Destroyer…?_

"What is it?"

"The end of—" he hesitated. "of everything."

"That's not an answer." She grumbled impatiently, giving him an equally impatient look.

"It's some ancient power." He tried to explain. "It technically existed as long as the digital world has, but it was supposedly dormant until something woke it up."

_Probably you._

"What woke it up?" she asked cautiously.

He shook his head. "I don't know. I personally think that its been awake the whole time, watching everything."

She still didn't trust him, but she was grateful for him bringing her to his home…even if she didn't quite believe the time traveling theory, she could _tell_ that something was wrong outside, and she really didn't want to be there.

This entire time, neither of them had actually moved, and Reed still stood with a bottle of water and some glasses in his hands. He finally set them down on the cluttered table, and poured them.

"Sorry," Reed murmured. "I obviously haven't had a lot of guests lately."

"Don't worry about it." She mumbled as sincerely as she could.

"So why were you huddled outside that temple?" Jeri asked him.

"I don't really know." He shrugged. "I must have been hit with something from behind that messed me up. Thanks for helping out there, by the way."

"Glad to." She added hurriedly. "What happened after I disappeared? What did everyone think happened?"

Reed frowned, and took a sip of his cup before setting it back down. "They realized after what was wrong with that spot. There was _too much_ data in that spot. The data spikes added fresh data, and replaced the anachronistic sectors of data in the digital world. But that place was overloading already, and when you put even more there…"

"How can I get back there?"

Like it or not, Reed was her only hope.

He nodded in response. "Yeah, I think we can get you home."

"How?"

"When you were brought here, the digital world ejected you from a time you were, and moved you to a time you weren't. There's obviously been some sort of connection established between you, and these two times, so if we replicate what you did to _bring_ you here, it should send you back."

Jeri bit her lip as she suddenly realized that she believed every word Reed said…she typically wouldn't have any reason to—he tried to kill her friends; he couldn't possibly be trusted, could he?

_I'm the diplomat_, _for God's sake…I shouldn't be here…_

She hid the sigh at the thought that any of the other Tamers would be handling themselves better in the situation. Takato sure would.

"Where is everyone?" Jeri asked him suddenly. "Where's Takato?"

Reed sighed. "After the worlds merged, most people lost track of—well, everyone." He explained. "This was all I ever came across of him…it inspired me."

_Inspired?_

Reed walked to the bookshelf and looked through it carefully, before he found a ragged envelope which he handed to her.

Jeri pulled out the paper that was inside, and read it quickly.

"_Jeri, it's Takato. _

_I never got to tell you how happy I was to have you be there when I woke up. I wish I could be here for you when you wake up, but I can't, so I'm leaving this for you. _

_I want you to know that I'm gonna do what's right. But, I don't know if I'm going to make it back, though. I just needed to tell you how much you mean to me. You've been my best friend my whole life. If I could choose to be with any person of anyone in all of the world, I'd choose you._

_I know you're gonna wake up, Jeri, I know that you'll be able to read this. You take care of us. Of me. You always have. You're stronger than all of us put together. Please know that I'm doing what I am to make the world a better place. _

_I love you. I love you so much."_

Jeri read it over, again. "This is—"

She felt a tear run down her cheek as she remembered the sorrow she had felt when she had read it for the first time. Her right hand wandered to her stomach involuntarily, and she ran a finger over the scar that remained there.

"I'm sorry." Reed cut her off. "I'd almost forgotten I had ever found it…"

"No," Jeri tried to explain. "This was something he wrote me a long time ago."

Reed looked at her, an eyebrow raised. Jeri folded the letter as carefully as Takato had, placed it back in the envelope, and passed it back to him.

_Wait a second…_

"You never _met_ Takato." Jeri said as she realized. "Or me, for that matter…how do you know so much about us?"

"We meet eventually." Reed smirked. "He had plenty of nice things to say about you, don't worry."

Jeri watched as Reed reached for the cup of water on the table—too hastily, and as it started to tip over—and as she saw a sudden wave of horror instantly found its way onto his face, Jeri instinctively snatched the small dark square of paper that was so nearly soaked.

Reed sighed in relief as he quickly but gently took the photograph from Jeri's small hand, not bothering with the puddle on the table, but not before she got a look at the paper.

It was a teenage girl, about Jeri's age, sitting on a swing. She had long brown hair, and wore a white sundress with red and yellow flowers on it. Her hair lined her pretty face, which in itself was decorated with a smile that brought one to Jeri's own face.

"Thank you." Reed said nervously.

"She's beautiful." Jeri replied. "Who is she?"

"Nobody." He said quickly, the tone stinging Jeri. Reed must have noticed, because he sighed as he carefully placed the photograph into a drawer. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright…" Jeri stammered.

"She's—" he started slowly. "She was the love of my life."

_Was…?_

Jeri's stomach twisted.

"I'm really sorry." Jeri whispered.

Reed shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago."

A moment went by in silence, a moment that felt like an hour.

"My partner was killed about two years ago." Jeri explained quietly. "Well, two and a _half_, I guess."

Reed just looked at her thoughtfully, but she went on.

"I think it's the saddest I've ever been…it made me think about a lot of things." Jeri felt her throat catch. "My mother died when I was little. But it didn't hit me the same way because I was so young. But when Leomon was killed, I—I thought that my destiny was to be alone."

"And what do you think your destiny is now?" Reed asked curiously, leaning over the table.

Jeri looked at him, confused. She hadn't thought much about destiny since everything that happened during the D-Reaper incident. If anything, it had taught her not to believe in destiny...that she could make her own future.

"Why did you go with your friends?" Reed asked. "Back to the digital world, I mean."

"What do you mean?"

"You have no digital partner…" Reed replied. "No combat expertise, little experience in the digital world, no knowledge of its—history."

Jeri felt her blood run cold. Why was he being so mean to her?

"I wanted to help." She said coldly.

"Well," Reed began carefully. "That's very interesting."

Jeri stared at him for a long while, trying to assess the meaning of his questions.

"I find it's a better process than trying to kill innocent people." She declared as he sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry." Reed apologized sincerely. "Times get desperate—so do people."

As much as she didn't want to, Jeri understood it. She'd seen it before—when Takato was so desperate to get Guilmon to digivolve that he made him turn into that monster—to Megadramon. She'd seen it when Ryo was so scared he was a risk to Rika that he gave her up…and she'd seen it when Impmon wanted power so badly that he murdered Leomon and absorbed everything he was.

"Yeah, I guess they do."

What stung her so painfully about Reed's question was that she herself had asked it silently a million times in the few days they'd been back there.

"So how did you first get to the digital world?" Jeri asked as they sat. The question served the purpose of breaking the silence, but the more Jeri thought about it, she really was curious as to how he came to be where he was.

"I was outside playing…" Reed began as he closed his eyes slowly, as if reliving the events in his head. "And I just—fell in…I don't think I've ever been so scared as I was then."

"I'm sorry." Jeri said awkwardly.

"It wasn't so bad, I was just really young."

"How young?"

Reed shrugged. "Around seven, eight?"

Jeri's eyes widened. Partially as she absorbed the idea of someone coming to the digital world at _such _a young age…just like Suzi—Jeri was _twice_ that age when she first came there…but if Reed came to the digital world over ten years earlier, then that made him the only known person in the world with more experience than Ryo.

"That must have been scary for you…" Jeri murmured, still thinking it over. She gave out a stifled laugh. "If it had been me I probably would have panicked and gone crazy…you must be really brave." She finished.

The more that she thought about it, the more her confidence in herself wavered. She had never had much to begin with, but hearing that Reed survived in the digital world when he was so young…it made her think of all the bravery and righteousness her own friends had displayed…Rika had once leapt towards the D-Reaper when it threatened the Sovereign. Kazu had stayed with Guardromon and nursed him back to health when he had only just met him. Ryo had saved countless lives on the streets of Shinjuku during the D-Reaper attack. Henry had rescued Takato, Cronus and Mala from the digital world. Cronus had protected Takato even when he thought it would cost him his life. And Takato…

Jeri idolized Takato. She was so lucky to have him in her life at all, even if he could only ever love her half as much as she loved him.

"How did you survive?" she asked finally.

Reed stood, and folded the jacket he'd tossed onto the bed before, placing it neatly on the shelf. "I don't know. Friends? Her?" he raised thoughtfully. "…Hate…?"

"Hate?" Jeri questioned.

"Before the Destroyer took its final form…" Reed started. "It took everything from me. My life…my friends, my family…" he sighed. "My world. Hate can keep you going."

"I've tried it." Jeri mumbled. "It didn't work out."

"Maybe it just depends on whose perspective you think of."

"Why are you helping me?" Jeri asked, suddenly. "I thought you were the bad guy."

"My goals haven't changed." Reed sneered. "What's 'bad' to one group of people can easily be 'good' for another. Not that I apologize for any of my actions…if you ever encounter me once you get back, I encourage you to run."

"Fine." She growled through grit teeth as calmly as she could. "But _why_ are you helping me?"

She looked into his eyes; blue, but a lighter blue than Ryo's. He looked upset, and Jeri actually saw a caring human being in there. "Because this isn't the future that _anybody_ wants."

"What does that have to do with—"

—and Jeri knew what he meant. He wanted her to stop all of this. Her jaw dropped, and he put his hand on hers reassuringly.

"You can do this."

Jeri sighed, frustrated. It was easy enough of a thing to say to someone that you believed in them. But did it really mean anything? Nobody else had been able to stop the apocalypse, how could Jeri possibly hope to succeed where billions had failed?

"Why...?"

Why did he believe in her? She'd never even _met_ him before that day, and he was talking to her like she was some huge factor missing from his life.

"Because you're the only hope this world has left."

"What makes you think a world that I'm a part of will be any better?"

Reed paused. "It _has_ to be."

The tone of his voice was flooded with sorrow, and Jeri understood. Maybe it wasn't anything actually about her at all…that maybe he was just frantic to find some hope in the world that he found it where it didn't really exist. In her.

"Think about it." He went on. "What will be different after you get back, is that_you'll be there_. That makes you the _one_ person capable of having any influence over what happens. You want to know about your _destiny_, Jeri? Well, this is it. Everything—your entire life—if we all have a great purpose in our lives, then yours is to prevent this. You're the _only_ one who can."

_My destiny?_

Jeri would love to help. She really would. But she couldn't possibly stop the apocalypse.

"One person alone can't change the future." Jeri argued flatly.

Reed looked to her. "I have faith in you."

They spent most of the night not speaking with each other. Reed wrote in a book that Jeri figured was a journal, while Jeri herself occupied herself with all sorts of things. She noticed that Reed's place needed a woman's touch to make it look anywhere close to clean, and she thought she did a good job of it. She even managed to mend some torn clothes of his to pass the time.

For whatever reason, Jeri wasn't worried about getting back home—she _knew_ she would be back, and soon. For whatever reason, she believed Reed. For whatever reason, she wasn't scared.

When she woke up in the morning, she was alone. Reed had taken the couch and given her the bed, but he wasn't on the couch, or in the room at all. She looked around for some sort of clock, but couldn't find anything.

She heard something upstairs, and instinctively, she reached for something to use as a weapon if she absolutely needed to. Her eyes narrowed on the knife on the counter, and she hurried for it, and wrapped her hand around the handle, not brandishing it just yet, but staring to the entrance—

—it was Reed. She relaxed, and put the knife back on the counter before he'd get the wrong idea.

"Oh…" Reed said with a wince. "I thought you'd still be asleep."

"Where'd you go?"

"If we're gonna stage an overload, we'd need a lot of data. I activated a device that'd start gathering it. It should be ready soon.

"How far?"

Reed looked up, thoughtfully. "Forty minutes."

Jeri felt worried, but just for a second, and she didn't even let it show. "Ready when you are."

It was even drearier outside that morning than it was the previous day. Mainly because it was brighter. Better-lit, anyways…if something looks grey, and they can blame it on having no light, it doesn't look as bad…but that place…

"Can I ask you something?" Jeri said suddenly, not looking at Reed directly.

"Probably. I might even answer you."

"When you turned on Ryo, Cronus, and Rika...why'd you do it?"

"Can't say." He replied innocently.

"Why not?"

He stopped, and turned to her. She avoided his gaze immediately, but soon looked back at him.

"I have most of your friends under surveillance." Reed clarified. "So you can't tell them _anything_ that's happened here, or I—the me from back then'll know, and that would be very bad."

_God damn you._

"Alright, no more dodging." Jeri started angrily. "Are you on our side or not?"

"Your mission never concerned me." He answered, starting to walk again. "And I told you, I've got my own goals."

That was probably the best answer Jeri could hope to get, and she knew there'd be no use in pushing it.

"So…" Jeri started again, more calmly, trying to make some conversation. "Who else did you meet?"

"Hmm?"

"Of my friends. Who'd you meet?"

He scratched his head, not slowing the pace through the ruins. "Well, Takato…" he thought for a moment. "Fun fact; Ryo and me go way back."

"You do?" she asked skeptically. "He never said anything about it."

"No, he wouldn't." Reed replied. "He doesn't remember, he couldn't. But—" he looked to her, worried, again. "But don't tell him. There's a reason he doesn't remember."

Jeri sighed. "Yeah, whatever."

Her muttering was interrupted by a hissing, and in an instant, a large, amphibious digimon was in the air, leaping at them. Jeri's body locked up, and she stared into its eyes in horror—until Reed pushed her aside, and swung his arm at it while it was still in the air, a red arc of flame swinging at it, completely obliterating it.

She looked at him in confusion and fear. "What did—how did you do that?"

The others had told her what they'd seen, and it matched the description of what she just saw, but…but she didn't really believe it until then.

"When something in the digital world dies, its data can be absorbed by nearby entities." He started, walking again. He was a few paces ahead before Jeri found her legs and started moving too. "Sometimes that data can contain the ability to use one of its attacks."

"But that was—that must have been a very powerful digimon…"

"I told you before," he said quietly. "Times get desperate, so do people."

Jeri didn't answer him this time, but they continued to walk, and she didn't take her eyes off of him. Before too long they were at the building where she found him.

"Wait, this took us way longer than the walk yesterday." Jeri noted, curious.

"That thing that attacked? There's at least seven more on the route we took yesterday. Let's get inside."

Inside looked just like it did before, structurally, but now in the middle there was a small machine, humming and vibrating.

"Just activate the console." Reed answered hastily.

Jeri looked to it, her hand hovering over it, the pale light emitted from it giving her hand a gentle glow.

More specifically, she was looking at the prompt:

ENTER PASSCODE.

"It wants a code." Jeri said quietly. Reed raised an eyebrow and walked over to it slowly, and hit a few keys.

The building shook, and Jeri nearly fell to the ground. Reed himself actually _had_ fallen, but got up quickly, looking around, worried.

"Is that—" Jeri was too scared to finish asking.

"It's the Destroyer." Reed confirmed. "He knows what we're doing."

"What do we do?" she asked him.

"_You_ go home." was his instant reply.

_What?_

Jeri stared at him hard, and the look she gave was enough to show that she was evidently_not_ on the same page as Reed.

"You're the one that belongs back then." Reed said sorrowfully. "Not me."

Before Jeri had the chance to protest, she could see that Reed was reaching for something in his pocket. He presented a small piece of paper, which had been folded very carefully. She took it, and opened it.

What was written on it was a series of numbers. A really, really long series of numbers. But the decimal placement, the spacing of them, and the number of them was very familiar, and in an instant she knew why. The equipment they carried that Yamaki had sent with them—it used the same format.

"Coordinates?" Jeri said aloud, realizing. She looked to Reed. "What's there?"

"The truth." Reed said after a pause. "If you go here…you should find what you need to start figuring it out. To stop—" he paused again, and looked towards the door, then back to her. "To stop this."

"But—" Jeri stammered, racing to convince him to go with her. She didn't even realize she'd reached for it it, but she felt the warmth of his hand underneath her own. She looked down, then back to him. "There's so much more I need to know…"

Reed turned to her, smiling weakly. Jeri was frozen in shock, so when he leant in she felt his lips on her cheek, all she could do was look at him. "Then make sure that you learn it." He looked at her hopefully, and gave her a small smile. "It's all up to you now."

With that, Reed turned and quickly headed towards the door once more. But there was still something Jeri needed to know, and she had found her voice.

"Reed?"

To Jeri's surprise, he actually stopped, though he didn't look at her.

"Yes?"

"Who is Carter?"

Jeri didn't get an answer from him. But as he continued towards the door—to his death—she recognized the way he moved his arm towards his face. He was crying—and so was Jeri. Jeri couldn't bear seeing him actually leave the room, and she turned to the console, closed her eyes, and activated it.

And, just as she had prayed, when she opened her eyes, she was standing where she wanted to be.

"We'll get some rest after this one." Takato suggested. "Want me to d—"

"No." Jeri interrupted, louder than she'd thought. She looked at her hand, which was clenching the data spike, but she felt something underneath. She moved the data spike to her left hand, and looked at her right, which held the piece of paper that Reed had given her. The coordinates.

"It's alright, Jeri—" Ryo said, stepping forward. As he neared her, he reached for the data spike in her hand. "I'll do it."

"_This one isn't like the others!"_ the voice warned.

"No!" she almost shouted, pulling it away. "This one isn't like the others."

_That voice…_

It was clearer than it had been when she'd heard it the first time. Clear enough that she could tell that it was Reed. He was the voice that had warned her before. He's watching.

"Huh?"

"The data here doesn't need to be fixed, it just needs to be moved—" Jeri tried to explain.

Jeri's eyes lit up. The data spikes were made of something similar to glass, but she could tell just be holding them that they were hollow. She just needed to find something to put the data into.

She looked to Ryo, who still had the half-full bottle of juice in his hand. She hurried to him, and snatched it from his hand.

"Hey, Jeri—"

She opened up the lid and poured it on the ground.

"Jeri!" Ryo protested. "I _wanted_ that!"

"Sorry." She murmured, shaking it to get as much of it out as she could. She looked to the disturbance, which fountained data just like the spot underneath Sarian had.

She hurried back over to the disturbance, and pushed the bottle hard, open-end-down on the disturbance. And it seemed to work—she could see the data floating up into the bottle, and swirling around.

"Jeri!" Renamon warned. "That's very dangerous, be very caref—"

"—I got it." Jeri interrupted her, slipping it off as it filled, and putting the cap on. She looked to Takato, who looked at her quizzically, then back down to the tracker, and then back to her.

"We're clear." Takato nodded.

"So you wanna tell me how you knew that place was different than the others?" Takato asked her, propping himself up onto his side, leaning on his elbow.

Jeri looked from the sky to him. "I heard a voice."

"Hmm." Takato murmured thoughtfully, laying back onto his back, staring at the sky again.

She sat as he just had, on one side, leaning on her elbow, looking at him, seeing he'd closed his eyes.

"Jeri?" he asked, eyes still closed.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you came." She smiled. Two years before, he'd said the same thing to her.

"Yeah, me too."

_Even if I wasn't this morning._

She saw him smile, with his eyes never fluttering. She placed one hand on his chest, which did get his eyes to open, and when they did, she bent down to plant a kiss on his lips.

They smiled at each other, and she rest her head on his chest, and felt his arm go around her. And in his arms, she fell asleep.

* * *

So sorry that took so long to get up, I've been crazily busy. Review, please!

-N

PS, thanks to Theuali for pointing out that thing that needed correcting :D


	6. Something To Say

**Previously:**

"I've been there." Ryo explained

"In that forest there?" Rika asked as everyone stopped to turn to him.

"Yeah. But the forest itself isn't the main attraction. There's a village in it called Sarian. When I was there, there was also a Gazimon that called himself Giz that was kind of an informant for the village. If the disturbance is anywhere near Sarian, Giz'll know where to find it."

/ / /

"Why can't we speak to Giz?" Ryo questioned the Betamon, getting back on-topic.

"He was taken." Renamon answered.

"Where?" Takato asked.

"They said nothing." Renamon replied coldly.

/ / /

"Coordinates?" Jeri said aloud, realizing. She looked to Reed. "What's there?"

"The truth." Reed said after a pause. "If you go here…you should find what you need to start figuring out out. To stop—" he paused again, and looked towards the door, then back to her. "To stop this."

"But—" Jeri stammered, racing to convince him to go with her. She didn't even realize she'd reached for it it, but she felt the warmth of his hand underneath her own. She looked down, then back to him. "There's so much more I need to know…"

Reed turned to her, smiling weakly. Jeri was frozen in shock, so when he leant in and she felt his lips on her cheek, all she could do was look at him. "Then make sure that you learn it." He looked at her hopefully, and gave her a small smile. "It's all up to you now."

* * *

**Something To Say:**

The bell rang, and Rika was on her way out of class. She got to her locker, which only needed the last number in the combination to open, and pulled out her backpack, which she knew had all of her books already in it for her. It was the _perfect_ day, and she couldn't wait to get outside into it.

So what if it was only a dream?

"Bye, Rika!" her locker called from behind her, the door to it flapping like a giant metal mouth. "I love you!"

"I love you too, Locker!" Rika waved back, the grin on her face never ebbing. "See you tomorrow!"

Rika pushed the door open. She _was_ on the second floor heading towards the stairwell, at least she was when she opened the door—but as she stepped through she was leaving the school's front door on the first floor, and all her friends were waiting outside for her.

Jeri, Takato, Henry, Ryo, Kazu, Alice, even Kenta. The digimon were all there too…Renamon, Guardromon, Terriermon, Guilmon, Dobermon, Cyberdramon, MarineAngemon…even Leomon was there.

As she stepped out of the school her friends all smiled at her as they noticed her. She smiled back, took Ryo's hand, and the group walked. She smiled as Ryo pulled her closer, letting go of her hand but putting his arm around her. She could see that Takato and Jeri too were holding hands, as were Henry and Mala, who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

They talked, and laughed, and joked about things Rika's mind couldn't even register. That damn subconscious of hers just couldn't keep up.

"Kazu," she found herself saying. "That movie is lame, and so are you for liking it." She grinned. They all laughed some more, and before too long, her hand was getting cold, so she reached up for Ryo's hand, but couldn't find it.

Nor could she find the weight of his arm on her shoulders.

"Ryo?" She asked, looking to him, finding nothing where he stood.

She spun around to her friends, nervous, but they too had vanished.

"Takato? Henry? Jeri!" she called. She looked up and around at the trees and the sky, which all had become various shades of grey—the trees and flowers were still obviously alive, but it was like Rika had lost all sense of color.

Almost all.

As she looked at her hands, she could see that they, along with the clothes she wore, remained as bright and colorful as they should remain. She did another half-rotation, and in front of her—but nowhere near close enough to see details, was a person, who seemed to be glowing in gold. It was walking away.

"Hey!" she called.

The figure seemed to notice her, and it stopped.

She ran up to it, and as she got closer, she thought she recognized him.

"Cronus?" she called, as she neared. It was strange—she wasn't covering the amount of ground her paces should have been covering. As a result, she was traveling much slower, even if she was moving at a proper rate.

_No…_

As she got closer, she realized it wasn't Cronus, but a child who looked remarkably like him. He was maybe four years old. But, he had the same haircut, same eyes, same face—but obviously younger.

His mouth opened as if to speak, though absolutely no sound came out.

_Voiceless?_

"Hey, what's going on?" Rika asked him. The boy was staring at the ground around him, and he beckoned Rika to stand beside him. She did, and he reached up and she took her hand like she knew she was supposed to. She faced where he was facing, and he pointed to the ground in front of them.

What was there was a black sphere—a marble.

"Wow, that's very nice." Rika said excitedly, as one would around a child. She looked to him, but the boy was frowning. She looked past him, and saw something else.

To the left was a pure-white marble, almost like a pearl. To the right, too, was another marble, only it was blue—but there was something on it—a pattern of a cross? Rika leaned forward, but the boy squeezed her hand, and though she stopped moving, she could see that the pattern on it was actually a series of cracks, straight down it and right across.

The boy tugged her hand for her to turn around, and behind her, there was a red marble, which, like the blue one, was also cracked.

She looked at him once more, and his eyes were now watering.

"Hey, don't cry, sweetie." She said soothing, kneeling beside him to be at eye level. "We can go get you some other ones. How's that sound?"

He _started_ to smile, but before she could actually feel good about it, she saw a flash of smoke from behind him, followed by a loud boom. The red marble had exploded. She pulled him close, and hugged him tightly as she felt him whimper, pressing his face towards her shoulder, and while no sound still came from him, the thunderous boom that came from the marble occurred again as the blue marble, too, exploded. Followed by the white, and then the black.

"It's okay." Rika said, pulling him off of her, but keeping her hands on his shoulders. "They're gone now."

He looked uncertain, looking around, and then suddenly he gasped, and clenched his eyes shut. Rika looked around, and everything was spinning. Rika stared on, even though it made her dizzy, as the colors mixed in with each other, and the world around her became something else.

"Okay…" she mumbled to herself, looking around but seeing nothing—only blackness. She was standing, but she couldn't _feel_ the ground beneath her. "Uh, little boy?" she called, hoping to see something—anything.

She turned around several times, seeing nothing—until the fourth rotation, when she saw him, his back to her. Only this time, Rika could hear him crying.

"What's wr—" she asked, stepping towards him. He whimpered, and she saw something dark on the back of his neck.

_Wait, what is that…?_

He turned to her, his face covered in blood, and screamed in agony.

She darted upright as she awoke, her mind instantly replaying everything that had happened so she wouldn't forget it in a few seconds. It couldn't possibly mean anything, could it? Why did she even care?

_I've never had a dream like that before_.

It was when she finally looked up that she realized that all her friends were staring at her. They all looked as confused as she was, and rightly so. Even Cronus was staring at her like she was insane, and he was the person Rika had been hoping might be able to make any sort of sense of it.

"Rika?" Jeri asked. "You okay?"

"I'm sure she's fine, Jeri." Ryo said comfortingly, before grinning at Rika and adding, "She was probably just dreaming of me."

But Rika wasn't in the mood, and she didn't respond. That is, until Ryo pushed her one step too far.

"Isn't that right, pumpkin?"

Rika grit her teeth, glared at him, "Ryo, how 'bout you just fuck _off_ and mind your own damn business for once!"

His jaw dropped, as did Jeri's, Takato's, and Kazu's. Ryo visibly took a step back from her, looking hurt.

_Nobody here gets me at all._

She stood up, and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Takato's voice called from behind.

"For a walk."

She reached into her pocket, and pulled out her mp3 player. In the dark, she clumsily put the earpieces in place, and turned it on. The sheer volume of it nearly knocked her off her feet.

The very worst part of it, though, was as she pulled the left one out of her ear, it gave her a shock.

_Damnit._

She groaned, adjusted the volume, and put them back in—but now they no longer worked.

"Geez." She muttered, pulling them out of the player and tossing them to the ground.

_Absolutely useless._

Why was she in such a bad mood? She wished she had a punching bag or something to whale on. She heard footsteps approaching her, and she turned to see Jeri jogging to catch up to her.

"Hey, Rika." Jeri called.

"Hey." Rika replied, unenthused but not altogether rudely. "Nobody trust me off by myself?"

"Nope." Jeri admitted cheerfully, matching Rika's pace. Renamon's coming, too."

"Yippee." Rika muttered.

"So, you wanna tell me what's wrong, or do we do that thing where I threaten you into telling me?"

Rika raised an eyebrow and smirked. "When have you ever done that?"

"I know." Jeri looked down, disappointed. "I was thinking I need a new thing."

Rika laughed, which got a smile from Jeri. As far as getting people to open up goes, Jeri was very good at it. And as far as people go, Rika considered Jeri a complete mastermind at them.

"Just not in a really good mood." Rika explained simply. There wasn't much else to it, plain and simple.

"You shouldn't have yelled at Ryo like that." Jeri declared.

Rika just shrugged. If Ryo were to never speak to her again, it would certainly resolve one of the dilemmas she spent time worrying about.

"What's going on with you two, anyways?" Jeri asked.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know." Rika suddenly recalled the conversation she'd had with Cronus about love, and how Ryo loved her.

"Well, you might want to figure that out sometime this lifetime." Jeri suggested. "He's a good guy, and he's not gonna wait around forever."

_What do I care?_

"Yeah, well, that'd be one way to get rid of him."

"Oh, come on." Jeri persisted. "You wouldn't care the slightest bit if he fell _madly_ in love with some other girl?"

Rika thought about it. And she didn't like it.

"Nope." She lied.

"Uh huh." Jeri said with a snicker and a nod. "Hey, can I ask you something?" Jeri requested sheepishly.

"Sure thing." Rika replied absentmindedly, still bothered thinking about Ryo with another girl. "About what?"

"About Reed…"

Rika stopped, and turned to her. It wasn't that Rika wasn't comfortable talking about him, it was just that she didn't understand what interest Jeri had in the damn psychopath. "Alright. Why?"

As she looked at Jeri, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Renamon, approaching, but keeping her distance to permit their privacy.

"I just—" Jeri looked thoughtful, as if searching for how to word what she wanted to say. "I don't understand how someone would do—what he did."

"People are killed by other people every day in the real world." Rika admitted, as they started to walk again. "Reed just did a shitty job with it…jackass."

"I guess you're right." Jeri said slowly but acceptingly. "One more thing?"

"Yeah?"

"Did he mention anything about the name Ca—"

Jeri let out a yelp as the ground beneath them shook—if only for a second, and before Rika knew what was happening, she was falling.

_Oh god—what's—_

Her back hit the ground hard.

"Rika!" she heard Renamon call from up above.

"I'm—okay!" she yelled back up between short breaths, her voice echoing several times in the process. "Jeri?"

Jeri was getting up before Rika was. She wiped as much of the dust and dirt as she could off of her shirt and her pants. "I'm alright…just got winded, I think."

_But—_why_ are we okay_...

Rika looked around. Well, she tried to…it was too dark to see anything past Jeri—the only light in the room was from the hole up above. She looked up—

—wait a sec—

That hole was a _lot_ higher up than it felt. Her back should be broken after a fall like that. She knelt down, patting the ground she landed on. It was hard as rock.

"Hey, Jeri?"

"Yeah?" Jeri turned to her, then back to the ground Rika was busy examining, then she looked back to Rika. The curious look on her face was enough to let Rika know that she didn't get what Rika was thinking.

"How did we survive that fall?"

"Huh?" Jeri looked up to the hole in the ceiling through which Renamon peered, then back down to the ground. "Wow. Lucky for us, huh?"

Rika smirked. She wished she could take good things as just that, like Jeri did.

_Then why not?_

She decided she would, if only just this once. They were alive—no point in questioning why.

"Renamon," Rika called up. "Can you get us out of here?"

She could see Renamon's silhouette taking up most of the hole, casting a bigger shadow into the room in which she stood with Jeri. "I'm trying, but it's—not—widening…This is going to take me a minute."

"Alright." Rika called back up. "Just be careful."

Rika bit her lip, reminding herself that _she_ was the one that needed to be careful. She really wanted to look around, but it was just too dark…

_I'm such a dumbass._

She reached into her pocket, and pulled out her keys—specifically, she wanted at the flashlight-keychain that was attached to it. It was small, and not as bright as she'd really have liked, but it was a whole lot better than nothing.

"Good thing one of us is prepared." Jeri said shyly. "My flashlight's in my backpack at the camp."

She shined it off to the side, and could faintly see the wall on the other side. Rika knew that Jeri was behind her as she approached slowly. As she got closer, she realized that the wall was a large square frame—a door, marked "LIV".

_Liv—live?_

There was some kind of thread hanging from the door on a few spots.

"What do you think it means?" she asked Jeri, who had already wandered off to their right.

"Forty-four." Jeri said confidently.

"Huh?"

"There's another one here." Jeri said, just a few feet to Rika's right. "It says 'XLV'. They're Roman numerals."

"How high do they go?" Rika asked, confirming that the one to her left was forty-three.

"I'm not sure." Jeri admitted. "Bring the light this way?"

Of course, Rika being the only one with the light, shouldn't have been asking Jeri for the answers, and she felt like an idiot for it.

The doors stopped at L, or fifty. From there, it started at I, and a lap around the room proved that it was giant and circular. The thread was present on most of the doors, some very scarcely, while others were nearly covered in it.

By the time they were finished, Renamon had widened the entrance enough to get in herself, and dove in, landing gracefully in the center. It was obviously too high up for Renamon to carry them, but it was a start. Besides—they had so many doors.

"What is this place, Renamon?" Jeri asked before Rika got the chance to.

She sniffed the air, then looked around suspiciously.

"What's wrong?"

"If digimon left bones," she began, "this place would be full of them."

"Leftover data floating around?"

Renamon moved her hand as if she were swatting an invisible fly. "The air's thick with it."

"A lot of digimon have died here, then?" Jeri asked, looking around.

"Yes." Renamon replied solemnly. "And I know what did it, too."

"Alright," was Rika's impatient but nervous response. "What?"

"There's traps behind all the doors but one." Renamon explained quickly, looking around.

"Traps?" Rika repeated, hoping for a clarification. "What kind of traps?"

"Let's find out." Renamon said, cautiously approaching door number forty four, and pushing it. As she touched it, it slid back then to the side, and Renamon motioned for Rika and Jeri to get to the center of the room, while Renamon herself squinted into the darkness.

Although Rika hadn't been expecting the attack that came out, Renamon was, and dodged it with the same elegance she demonstrated in all of her fights. Rika shined the flashlight towards the door, and a Dokugumon popped out.

She'd had an encounter with one of the spidery-looking monsters before, back when they were randomly bio-emerging a few years back. It had put up a fight, but Renamon had become much more powerful since then.

It shot another Poison Thread at Renamon, who managed to dodge it with relative ease, even though the attack was difficult for Rika to see in the low light.

"Alright, Renamon." Rika declared, reaching for her D-Arc on her belt. "Party time."

Renamon started to digivolve to Kyubimon, and as she did, the room was illuminated by the blue light emit from the golden fox.

And for whatever reason, Rika found an irresistible urge to look behind her. It was something she would _never_ do—turning away from the fight like that—but she found herself doing it anyways—

—and in the pale blue light, she saw a little boy—the one she was certain looked like a young version of Cronus—the one from her dream—standing in front of door number nineteen. He was no longer bloody or crying, yet he did look definitively sad. Yet again, when he opened his mouth to speak to her, no sound came out that Rika could hear.

"You're—" she whispered so quietly she couldn't even hear it herself over the sound of Kyubimon destroying the Dokugumon. The boy turned and walked _through_ the door, disappearing behind it all the while never opening it.

She turned to Jeri and Kyubimon to see if either of them had noticed it, but she could tell that neither had. Jeri clapped as Kyubimon absorbed Dokugumon's data, and Rika would have felt bad about missing the show if she hadn't been so damn confused about what she just saw.

It just didn't make sense. First off, she saw that kid in a _dream_. Second, why did he look like a young version of Cronus? Cronus was never _young_; his growth timeline went from egg, to dinosaur, to teenager. No childhood whatsoever. Third—why had he appeared bloody and screaming at the end of her dream?

"Wow Renamon," Jeri said, enthused. "You made that look _easy_!"

"Yes, well…" Renamon replied humbly. "I don't have the energy to fight forty-eight more."

"But you said one of them leads to an exit, right?" Jeri answered back. "I'm sure we'll find it soon."

But Rika was already approaching door nineteen, where the boy had disappeared into, and her hand was already on it, pushing.

_Where'd he go…?_

"Rika, what are y—" Renamon shouted as she grabbed Rika and pulled her back as the door opened.

To both Rika's surprise and her expectance, the path that it led to was not the darkness as the last door, but a perfectly lit tunnel.

"How'd you know it was this one, Rika?" Jeri asked.

_Because apparently I'm insane._

"I don't know." She admitted, gently pulling away from Renamon, and carefully stepping inside.

The tunnel widened as she got farther up it, and it even got brighter. It looked very old but also well-kept. It was slightly inclined vertically, so they knew they were getting closer to the surface, even if they would be far away from where they initially fell in.

Rika looked to either side, seeing occasional piles of stones. Jeri too, was looking around with a distinct sense of curiosity. Renamon was in the lead, and was keeping the pace slow and cautious.

"What's that?" Jeri asked, causing the group to stop as she pointed past Renamon to something on the ground in front of her. Rika took a step to the side so that she could see past her partner, and Renamon approached the small red marble-like object on the ground, and bent down to pick it up.

_No—_

"Renamon _don't_!" Rika shrieked, grabbing Renamon's left arm and pulling her back as the marble exploded. It was louder than it looked, and while it probably wouldn't have done any _serious_ damage to her partner, Rika would just as soon avoid things like it if at all possible.

"Another trap?" Jeri asked, looking around, worried.

Rika approached where it was, hoping to find some sort of leftover. She knelt down, wiping away the blackened dirt in search of anything at all, any remaining fragment of it so that maybe she could figure out what it all meant.

And when she looked up, the boy was standing inches from her face. Her jaw dropped as her gaze met his. She quickly shot a glance at Jeri and Renamon, who were staring right past it.

_What the hell's happening to me?_

She looked back at the boy, who had taken a few steps back, and was indicating one of the piles of rocks, which stood about four feet high.

"Rika?" Renamon asked, cutting into her hallucination. "Is something wrong?"

_Apparently._

"No," Rika answered. "I think I just need some sleep."

_I _hope_ I just need some sleep_.

Rika headed towards the pile of rocks, and started pulling it apart, starting from the top as to not make a mess and have them all roll off onto her.

"What are you doing, Rika?" Renamon asked.

"Help me out, will ya?" Rika grunted, lifting one of them and moving it aside.

Jeri and Renamon must have thought she was absolutely insane—'cause Rika sure did. At least, until they got the first few layers of rocks off, and Rika could see that it was blocking something—an alcove, of sorts. She stopped for a second as she registered it, as did Renamon and Jeri, and then when they started moving them again, they were doing it faster, as they had a real motivation to actually _do_ it.

Several minutes later, they had moved enough for Rika to see inside—she shined her flashlight in, seeing that the alcove was only a few feet deep. She saw something a few feet long on the bottom of it, but she couldn't figure out what it was until the light of the flashlight lit up its face.

_It's a digimon…_

With all her strength, she reached both arms inside and picked it up. It was roughly the size of Impmon, and of a similar weight, too. But it wasn't Impmon, it looked almost cat-like, like a lynx. It wasn't moving, and its face was covered in dirt that Rika carefully brushed away.

"Is it alive?" Jeri asked.

"Must be." Rika answered. "Otherwise it would have disappeared, right?"

"Rika, how did you know—" Renamon sounded even more shocked than either of the other girls.

"I don't know. Let's just get him out of here." Rika started moving, but Renamon had stepped in front of her.

"Renamon?"

"Rika, that's the Gazimon that was captured from Sarian."

_What?_

Ryo'd said it had called itself Giz as a sort of nickname. The 'informant', as Ryo'd put it. The one who knew everything about everything.

_Good find._

"Let's get out of here." Rika repeated, still staring at him.

"But how did you—"

"I said _I don't know_." Rika almost snapped at her partner, then looking back at the small body she carried in her arms. "Now please, we need to get him somewhere safer than here."

"You're right." Renamon replied, picking up the pace, but still keeping an obvious look out for traps.

"How do you think he got here?" Rika asked nobody in particular.

"I heard that Gazimon are sneaky and good at setting up traps…" Jeri answered. "It's supposed to make up for having some weaker attacks. Maybe he made this place?"

_Still doesn't explain how he got away from whoever captured him._

"Wait." Renamon instructed, and Rika and Jeri obediently stopped behind her.

Renamon raised a hand, and a single crystal-like object appeared in it. It was her Diamond Storm attack, but she was using it at its absolute minimum. She tossed it ahead, and what Rika knew must have been another miniature bomb went off, and Renamon led the group past as the smoke cleared as if it were nothing.

Rika had two priorities: saving Giz, and figuring out what the hell was happening to her. Her dreams were typically so boring, and she never remembered them. But this one was invading her whole reality. And she was letting it. But was that so bad? It led her out of that place with all the rooms, and it had taken her to Giz, who they'd been hoping to find for over a week.

_It? _It_ is a _boy.

Rika still couldn't get much farther past that. It looked _so_ much like Cronus. But, like she'd already reminded herself a thousand times, Cronus was never a kid. Back when she and Henry were knocked out by—whatever it was near Galatea, neither she nor Henry had made it to the console that opened the door to let everyone else in. It was the one thing Rika _had_ taken and accepted as a good thing, but she was still paranoid about it. She'd talked to Ryo about it, and she'd even admitted to him that she thinks they're not alone in their fight.

Maybe this proved it…however it happened, this boy she kept seeing wasn't just a dream. And so far, it hadn't done anything to convince Rika that he wasn't on their side…she was just curious as to why she was the only one that could see him. What made her so special?

They hit the end of the tunnel within a few silent minutes, and Renamon indicated up above, to where there were two large metal trap doors. She pointed for Rika and Jeri to take a few steps back, and Renamon squatted low, then jumped up hard, smashing the doors open, while dirt and sand seeped it.

When it stopped, they climbed out with Renamon's help.

"Thanks, Renamon." Rika smiled at her.

"Look, there's some houses over there." Jeri said, pointing. "Maybe they have a bed?"

They weren't within eyesight of where they'd entered the tunnels, but Rika couldn't worry about that yet.

"Good idea."

As they entered the small gathering of buildings, uncertain of where to go, Rika just walked slowly, looking around. At least, until she heard Takato's voice.

"You're sure you haven't seen them here? Two human girls, both with red hair, and a Renamon?"

"No, I—" the digimon replied as Rika stepped out into its view, walking towards them. Takato was questioning it, with Cronus standing at his side. "Oh, _them_. They're standing right there."

Takato turned, and charged at Jeri, hugging her fiercely, wiping the dirt from the side of her face. "Where the hell _were_ you guys?"

"Long story." Rika said hastily. "We found Giz, but he's injured," she was talking past Takato, to the digimon he was questioning. "Do you have a spare bed anywhere?"

"Of course, come inside."

* * *

Ryo had arrived shortly after, and was sitting with Giz inside. Renamon had gone back to the camp with Jeri to get the others and to get some supplies that might be useful in healing him. Cronus had suggested breaking open one of the data spikes and letting it flow to him slowly; it was the best shot they'd got. It wasn't like Giz was in any condition to fight something and absorb its data.

"Will he be alright?" Rika asked. The way he looked when she found him…No. She had to be more optimistic—more hopeful. Like Jeri. She had to trust that good things can just happen.

"We think so." Takato said with a nod. "He's still dizzy. What's the digital equivalent to a concussion?"

"Sorry we took so long." Jeri asked, arriving with Henry and Kazu, Guardromon and Renamon handing the bag to Takato. "Where is he?"

"Cronus and Ryo are inside with him." Takato answered, looking into the bag. "This should help, thanks."

Jeri nodded in response, her face still serious with worry.

"Takato?" Ryo called, as the door opened, only taking half a step outside of it.

"We've got the supplies." Takato answered, heading inside.

Ryo hadn't made eye contact with Rika since she brought back Giz, and he seemed more worried than the rest of them about the little guy's condition. It made sense, she supposed…that Gazimon was a friend of his…it was how Rika felt when she saw Impmon like that. It must have been what Ryo was feeling. Rika imagined seeing Calumon like that…how would she handle it if it were him? Or Renamon, for that matter?

_I should apologize to him_.

She really had been too short with him earlier. He didn't do anything to deserve her yelling at him in front of everyone like that. She barely understood why she did it—she knew she cared about him, she'd just been—frustrated.

Takato disappeared into the small building, and Rika started after him, until Ryo blocked her path, when he finally looked her in the eye.

"Ryo, I should—" she started, searching for words that wouldn't come for her. For a few seconds he looked back at her, as he waited for her to say what was on her mind. She could tell that he _knew _she had something to say. But when she didn't know just what that was, she saw a flash of disappointment cross his face.

"We can take care of it." He said flatly, stepping inside, and closing the door in her face.

* * *

Well, with this chapter, this story has surpassed Flux, and is now my longest story yet. Sorry about the lack of updates, I'm between computers, and handwriting this stuff then typing it out later is really inefficient.

Review, please!

-N


	7. What You Have To Do

**Previously:**

"We were friends." Rika declared softly. "I know that much."

"I want more than that." Ryo admitted. Sure, he was pushing his luck. Sure it was selfish, and sure it was inappropriate. But it was honesty. For once.

"Maybe if we give it enough time." She answered eventually.

/ / /

"Why can't we speak to Giz?" Ryo questioned the Betamon, getting back on-topic.

"He was taken." Renamon answered.

"Where?" Takato asked.

"They said nothing." Renamon replied coldly.

/ / /

"Coordinates?" Jeri said aloud, realizing. She looked to Reed. "What's there?"

"The truth." Reed said after a pause. "If you go here…you should find what you need to start figuring out out. To stop—" he paused again, and looked towards the door, then back to her. "To stop this."

"But—" Jeri stammered, racing to convince him to go with her. She didn't even realize she'd reached for it it, but she felt the warmth of his hand underneath her own. She looked down, then back to him. "There's so much more I need to know…"

Reed turned to her, smiling weakly. Jeri was frozen in shock, so when he leant in and she felt his lips on her cheek, all she could do was look at him. "Then make sure that you learn it." He looked at her hopefully, and gave her a small smile. "It's all up to you now."

/ / /

"I'm sure she's fine, Jeri." Ryo said comfortingly, before grinning at Rika and adding, "She was probably just dreaming of me. Isn't that right, pumpkin?"

Rika grit her teeth, glaring at him, "Ryo, how 'bout you just fuck _off_ and mind your own damn business for once!"

/ / /

"Well, you might want to figure that out sometime this lifetime." Jeri suggested. "He's a good guy, and he's not gonna wait around forever."

"Yeah, well, that'd be one way to get rid of him."

"Oh, come on." Jeri persisted. "You wouldn't care the slightest bit if he fell _madly_ in love with some other girl?"

/ / /

"Ryo, I should—" she started, searching for words that wouldn't come for her. For a few seconds he looked back at her, as he waited for her to say what was on her mind. She could tell that he _knew _she had something to say. But when she didn't know just what that was, she saw a flash of disappointment cross his face.

"We can take care of it." He said flatly, stepping inside, and closing the door in her face.

* * *

**What You Have To Do:**

"Not so much water." Cronus told him as Takato went to dab the wet cloth over Giz's face. "It'll drip and he'll be itchy."

_I think that's the least of his worries._

But not having the heart to think aloud, Takato complied, wringing out the cloth even more, and then gently dabbing it on the crusted pieces of mud, dirt, and dried blood that covered the small creature's face. On the other side of the bed, Ryo leaned against the wall, staring on with a silent attention. Ryo was concerned about Giz, as Takato had expected, but what Takato hadn't been counting on was how anxious Cronus had been.

He'd been helping take care of the Gazimon, and kept asking questions that Takato just didn't know the answer to—specifically, what did it, why it happened, and whether or not he'd be alright. The supplies that Jeri had brought back from the camp—some typical first-aid stuff had helped, but they came in a very limited supply, and the effects didn't remain long, and soon Giz was at risk again.

Takato knew that one of the reasons Cronus had been asking so many questions, though, was because he wanted to know when they should try his idea—to slice off the end of a data spike, and let Giz's body absorb it slowly. Cronus's theory was that Giz's body would take in the data it needed, and reject the rest. In theory, it would work, but the data spikes were so volatile…they had no idea what would happen if they opened one up, let alone what would happen if Giz's body wasn't able to filter it—it was data made by Yamaki, after all, so it wasn't something any digital monster would be accustomed with.

Ryo, too, had asked the same questions as Cronus, but less frequently. He was obviously very worried about Giz's condition, and Takato really didn't know what to say to comfort either of them, so he didn't. He knew Ryo had a lot on his mind, especially with the scene Rika had made when she yelled at him that morning. Takato had been as taken aback by it as Ryo had; Takato was just fortunate enough not to have been on the pointed end of Rika's words. He just didn't know what to say to Ryo anymore. Actually, he sort of did, he just didn't want to have the discussion with either of them. Essentially, they either needed to get along, or he'd have to send one of them back to the real world. He cared about them both, but the mission was what mattered.

He wanted them to get together already. He wanted them to like each other. He wanted them to be _civil_ with each other. But apparently it was too much to ask.

Takato had kept quiet when Rika had yelled at him mostly because he was so shocked. He'd even bit his tongue when Ryo closed the door in Rika's face because there was the more pressing matter Giz's well-being.

_And I've done just such a _great_ job at that_...

Giz was proof that the attack on Sarian wasn't random, that it had a purpose—of the entire village, they'd only taken _one_ prisoner. According to Ryo, Giz was an informant—the raiders that attacked the village wanted something that Giz knew—something that they couldn't find anywhere else; that nobody else knew. If there really was something bigger going on, Takato had to find out before it got out of control.

"Alright." Takato said suddenly. "Let's use a data spike."

Cronus nodded, stood up, and picked one up from behind him, while Ryo and Takato just watched, unsure of what to do with themselves.

Cronus sat down on the chair to the left of the bed Giz lay in, holding an end of the data spike in each of his hands. He stared at it for a second before he wrapped three fingers around the pointed end, and snapped it off.

"Hold him down." Cronus instructed. The data from the spike began to flow out of the end slowly. "Hurry."

Takato just looked to Ryo, and did as Cronus said.

As they poured the data into him, his body shook. It was pretty scary…Takato had noticed that when Guilmon or Renamon were absorbing an opponent's data that their body would shake a little, but he was never _close_ enough to really understand just how powerfully they were vibrating.

"Hey," Cronus called suddenly. "I think he's coming around."

Takato rushed over, as did Ryo, and the Gazimon stirred, and slowly opened his eyes. Filled with relief, Takato watched as Giz looked at him, Cronus, and then finally Ryo, before smiling.

"Oh, God." he mumbled weakly through a smile. "I'm in hell."

Ryo laughed quietly, and squeezed Giz's hand. "How you feeling?"

"Like I was tortured for two weeks." Giz concluded as he struggled to sit up, Ryo and Cronus helping him. He turned to Ryo, who was visibly relieved yet tired. "You look like crap."

_Tortured?_

Ryo didn't answer, and Takato knew he was stuck on that part, too.

Takato caught Ryo's eye, and they gave each other the same look of worry, before Ryo turned back to Giz. "What did they do to—"

"Where's Cyberdramon?" Giz asked suddenly. "I wanna see the big ol' puppy."

"We don't know." Cronus answered for Ryo. "We've been looking for him for— well,almost two weeks."

Giz looked at Cronus curiously, but when he answered, he spoke to Ryo. "You kidding? Where am I?"

"A small village a few miles west from the underground tunnels our friends found you in."

"West of the caverns, huh?" Giz sounded curious. "Well Cyberdramon lives in a little place just north of here."

Ryo stood up. "Wai—what? Are you sure?"

Giz nodded. "Yeah, he busted me out."

"How far?"

The small digimon shrugged. "A few miles?"

"Then I'll be back in a couple of hours." With that, Ryo walked out of the room, and Takato and Cronus gave each other an anxious look before Takato too hurried into the next room to catch Ryo before he was gone.

"Ryo, are you really going—"

"I've gotta see him, Takato." Ryo answered instantly. "We need him here, and I just—I need to see him."

There was a few seconds where Takato was at a loss for words. He wanted to argue Ryo into waiting until Takato could go with him, perhaps—but then again, Takato would be doing the same thing, wouldn't he?

"Are you sure?" Takato asked Ryo carefully.

"Yeah. Giz said Cyberdramon was just north of here." Ryo answered.

"Yeah, but we don't even know if he's moved on yet—"

"I know." Ryo interrupted. "So I've gotta move quick. I'll be back before night."

"Ryo," Takato said, raising his hands for a small second before dropping them frustrated to his sides. "You can't just run off alone in a place like this, it's too dangerous—what if—"

"I'll ask Kazu and Guardromon to come with me." Ryo interrupted.

Takato looked at him, seeing in Ryo's eyes the reason he didn't suggest Rika and Renamon. Rika had yelled at him that morning, before _she_ stormed off. Jeri and Renamon had followed her, and while Takato hadn't had the opportunity to get any details as to how, the three had managed to find Giz, the Gazimon that was captured from Sarian.

He stared at his friend, who was looking back at him with pure resolve. It wasn't that Ryo was asking _permission_ to go find Cyberdramon, they both knew he didn't need it. Takato realized that Ryo just wanted him to understand _why_. And Takato already knew that.

"Alright." Takato said, defeated. "Just be careful, alright?"

Ryo flashed him a thumbs-up, and hurried outside. "Hey, Kazu, can you and Guardromon—"

Ryo's voice trailed off as the door closed, leaving Takato alone with Cronus.

He pulled himself together, and went towards the room Cronus and Giz were in, deciding he should be getting back to work.

"Giz," he said as he entered the room. "If you could tell us what it was that they wanted from you, we might be able to—"

"—he's out." Cronus interrupted. Takato looked to the digimon, who was sleeping peacefully.

"Damn it." Takato whispered quietly.

Cronus gave him a look. "He can't help it, Takato."

Takato pushed the guilt aside. "I know. It's just that the sooner he can tell us what he knows, the sooner we can stop this from happening to anyone else. Do you understand?"

A pause, where Cronus just looked at Giz, then spoke quietly. "You shouldn't be mad at him."

"I'm not." Takato protested. "Like you said, it's not his fault."

"No, I—I mean, _yeah_, but, that's not what I meant." Cronus stammered, looking up to Takato. "I mean you shouldn't be mad at Ryo, either."

Takato bit his tongue. "I'm not _mad_ at him, Cronus, I guess I'm just kind of frustrated with everything that's going on."

"He'll be okay." Cronus said encouragingly. "Taking risks doesn't mean he's being reckless."

Takato smiled inwardly.

"Sometimes I think you know people better than I do."

But Cronus didn't smile, or give any acknowledgement whatsoever. All he gave was a suggestion. "You look tired. You should get some sleep."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Takato _did_ feel kind of tired, but he really wanted to be alone for a little bit where he wasn't upsetting everybody. He left the room Cronus was in, and found another empty room in the house. The digimon that allowed them to use his place had gone next door, so Takato presumed it was either his room or another spare. But he did feel the exhaustion overtake him as he stepped into the dark room.

He couldn't resist, and he was soon laying on his back on top of the bed. It had felt like ages since he'd actually slept in one.

_Maybe I'll just rest for a few minutes._

* * *

Takato awoke to someone shaking his arm. He grumbled, and opened his eyes to see Ryo.

_Damn it, Ryo, do I ever wake_ you_ up—Ryo?_

"Ryo?" Takato said aloud as he scrambled to sit up. "Did you—"

Ryo grinned and nodded. "We got'em, alright. He's in there with Giz right now."

"Anything big and bad try to get in your way?"

He shrugged. "No more than usual."

Takato silently wondered what that meant, but figured he was better off not knowing.

"Giz is awake, and he's ready to talk about what happened." Ryo explained. That was enough for Takato, who moved quickly and was on his feet in no time. Ryo led them back to where Giz lay—or sat, to be specific, and to where Cronus stood next to the bed, with Cyberdramon standing in the corner.

"Alright, Giz." Ryo began. "Why don't you tell us what happened."

Giz inhaled sharply, as did Takato, though he barely realized he was so nervous. At least within a few minutes, Takato would know whether or not all his fears were justified.

* * *

"Where is everyone?" Takato asked as they stepped out of the house. It was night, but all day they'd been sitting right outside.

"I saw 'em all on the way back." Ryo replied. "There's some trees just east of here that they've set up camp by, they make some decent cover."

"Alright, let's get going, then."

Takato wasn't sure what he'd say to his friends when he saw them. What they'd learned from Giz—it hadn't been what they were expecting…how could it have been? What he dreaded _most_ though, was telling them about the plan he'd come up with. Takato been doubting himself as they walked in silence, with Cronus and Ryo obviously as scared as he felt.

When they were just outside of the village, though, he saw that Jeri, Henry, Kazu, Guardromon, Renamon, and Rika were already coming towards them.

Takato raised a hand in a wave, which Jeri returned, and neither group sped their pace, though they soon met.

"What do we know?" Henry asked eagerly.

"Takato," it was Henry who spoke. "What are you getting at?"

Takato inhaled slowly. "We don't know how much time we have left."

"Until what?" Jeri asked cautiously.

"We already knew," Takato answered, getting a look of surprise from Ryo. "that when Sarian was attacked, it wasn't random, it was planned—carefully. They wanted Giz. Because he knew where to find the Sovereign."

"The Sovereign?" Renamon sounded shocked. "What do they want with them?"

Takato just looked at her, and it was informative enough for her to get the message.

"Can't the Sovereign take care of themselves?" Kazu asked hopefully. "Last time we saw them, they were a _lot_ tougher than us."

It was Ryo's turn to sigh. "Apparently, they can't. At least two of them have already been defeated."

"'Defeated'?" Rika repeated, worried. "Defeated, or destroyed?"

Takato looked from Rika to Ryo, then to Cronus, then back to Rika. But before he could answer, Cronus did it for him.

"We don't know." He murmured quietly.

"Do we know which ones, at least?" she persisted.

Takato nodded. "The Sovereign is made up of four exceptionally powerful digimon…they're more powerful than your typical mega-level—there's just something more _to_ their power. There's Baihumon, the White Tiger, Ebonwumon, the Black Tortoise, Zhuqiaomon, the Red Bird, and Azulongmon, the Blue Dragon."

He looked to his friends, but they all looked at him with blank stares, except of course, Ryo and Cronus. The others, however, continued to stare until he answered Rika's question.

"Zhuqaiomon and Azulongmon have been confirmed to have been defeated, and it's believed that Baihumon is gone, too."

"There's only _one_ of them left!" Jeri was horrified.

"We don't know for certain that Baihumon is gone." Cronus said comfortingly. "It's possible that he's staged something to throw off the pursuers."

"Wait a sec—why are they taking out the Sovereign anyways?" Kazu asked. "Are they just after power, or will something happen if they're all wiped out?"

Ryo would field this one. "Ever wonder why this thing's name is the Destroyer?"

Kazu's eyes widened with a sense of curiosity, and Takato elaborated. "The Sovereign protect this world from ours. If they're no longer there to protect it—"

"—then the walls separating them would break down." Jeri finished, saddened. "Permanently."

"But the data spikes we've been using—" Rika tried to argue nervously.

Henry interrupted her. "They're not enough…" His gaze ran from Rika to Takato. "Are they?"

Takato shook his head, slowly, not wanting to upset his friends, but knowing it was inevitable.

"But why would anybody do that?" Guardromon persisted, getting a nod from Kazu to second the question.

We don't know." Cronus admitted. "But we don't have time to figure it out."

"What's our next move, then?" Rika asked.

Takato looked back at her, and he could tell that she wouldn't approve. Hell, even Ryo and Cronus didn't approve. But it was what they had to do.

"We're splitting up."

"What!" more than one of his friends asked, nearly in unison.

"We've nearly been killed in a _group_ enough times, this isn't—"

"We wouldn't even know where to—"

"This is insanity—we can't just make ourselves defenseless like this—"

"_Hey!_" Ryo shouted over the protests. Takato looked to him, but he continued to look at the rest of them. "Hear him out."

_Thanks, Ryo._

Takato cleared his throat. "We've got Renamon, Guardromon, and Cyberdramon back." He looked to Henry, who continued to stare him down. "So even if we're still missing Terriermon, this is the strongest we've been since we got here." It was true…Guardromon and Renamon had been doing just fine in keeping everyone safe, and Cyberdramon was as strong as, if not stronger than the two of them put together. "Kazu, I want you to go with Jeri, Henry, and Guardromon, and head north. Rika, you're with Renamon, and you've got east. Ryo's going to go with Cyberdramon; they've got west covered, and Cronus and I will look south."

"Can we take south instead?" Jeri asked suddenly, her expression changing in an instant.

"Huh?" Ryo murmured. "Why?"

"N—no reason…" she stammered. She was a crappy liar. But Takato knew she wouldn't tell them—she must have had her reasons, and he had apparently no choice but to trust that she knew what she was doing..

"Yeah, alright." Takato nodded. "You guys go south, then, and Cronus and I will go north."

"Uh, one thing" Ryo stammered, raising a hand as if to ask a teacher a question. "Takato, if Cyberdramon and I go west, we're just gonna wind up at Sarian again."

Takato knew…it was actually why he wanted Ryo to go west. "I know. I want you to bring Giz back there, and ask around to see if anybody knows anything about where we can find Baihumon and Ebonwumon." Takato turned to the rest of his friends. "Same with everyone else, for that matter" he turned to the rest of his friends. "ask anybody you come across."

"Ask them what?" Henry asked.

"Anything they know about the Sovereign." Cronus replied. "We'll need to protect both of them if we can find them, but we only _need_ one of them to remain safe for the barriers to stay up."

"When are we leaving?" Jeri asked nervously.

Takato looked once more to Ryo and Cronus. "Tomorrow morning."

His friends didn't approve. With mumbles and whispers to each other, Kazu, Henry, Renamon, and Guardromon headed back to the camp; Henry leading Jeri, who looked back at Takato with a sense of uncertainty. He watched as they became smaller and indistinguishable, and then Cronus broke the silence.

"I'm gonna go see if the village has any supplies they want to volunteer."

"Good idea." Ryo nodded. "Cyberdramon, will you go with him?"

Cyberdramon grunted in affirmation. If Takato didn't know better, he would have thought Cyberdramon was mad, but he just communicated in a language of grunts and sneers—unless, of course, he was both in a good enough mood, and if he liked you well enough—in that case, he was perfectly capable of speaking fluently.

"Yeah." Takato said softly. "Be careful."

Again, he watched as Cronus and Cyberdramon hurried off opposite the rest of his friends.

Takato sighed, and sat cross legged on the grass for a second before stretching out and laying back, resting his eyes.

"They're all pretty pissed." He declared, opening his eyes for a moment as Ryo sat down a few feet away.

"Yeah." Ryo confirmed. "If it makes you feel any better, I think they're as mad at me as they are at you."

Takato's eyes had closed again. "Yeah, that does help some." He grinned, if only for a second. "Even Jeri was pretty mad about it."

"I dunno." Ryo mumbled comfortingly. "She seemed pretty eager to go south. What was that about, anyways?"

Takato sighed. "I have no clue. She's been acting kinda funny since she knew that that one spot had too much data instead of not enough."

"Hasn't said anything, huh?"

Takato shook his head. When he realized that shaking his head wouldn't make any _sound_, he remembered he should answer. "Nope." He paused. "I think she was mad that I didn't put her with me."

"Mm." Ryo murmured contemplatively. "Why didn't you, anyways?"

Takato didn't answer, and just sighed. But Ryo'd already figured it out.

"You're not going north, are you?"

"No."

"Or south?"

"No."

"North-west?"

"Yeah."

It was where Baihumon had been seen last, according to Giz. And if Baihumon really had been taken out recently, that was where Takato would be able to find the Destroyer's location, he was sure of it. You don't fight something as big as Baihumon without there being witnesses.

After Giz was captured, he was tortured for several days by the Destroyer's agents for information on the Sovereign before Cyberdramon learned of it, when he broke him out. Giz never did tell them anything. The underground structure that he'd been found in hadn't been guilt by Giz, per se, but the traps were all his own. The dead digimon that Renamon had sensed there were mostly ones that tried to follow him to bring them back to the Destroyer.

Cyberdramon had helped Giz basically bury himself alive. Giz's body would have healed itself eventually, and in the state he was in, he would have remained undetected, and it worked. Giz had told them about the two of the Sovereign, but that Baihumon was often seen north-west of where they were. Takato had to go; had to see.

"Cyberdramon and I can go with you."

Takato shook his head, but remembered this time that he needed to speak, too. "No, after you drop off Giz, meet up with Rika and Renamon." Takato sat up and opened his backpack, before removing a flat, leather square object which he gave to Ryo.

Ryo opened the small pouch, and pulled out five cards Takato had packed. "Speed cards?" Ryo asked, his eyebrow raised.

Takato lay back down, his eyes open this time. "You should be able to catch up with her faster with them."

"Right. Good call." Takato watched as Ryo put it in his pocket. "You're just all sorts of prepared, aren't you?"

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Maybe she was worried that I don't have a digimon in my group." Takato thought aloud.

"Yeah, maybe." Ryo agreed. "I personally think you should."

"Cronus can take care of me." Takato declared.

"Yeah, I know." Ryo confirmed. "He's saved Rika twice and me once since we got here. But it still wouldn't hurt for you to have a digimon there."

Takato nodded, but didn't bother to agree aloud. "Wait, when did he save Rika?"

"When we first saw Reed, he was surprised, and threw a knife at her." Ryo recalled. "Cronus took it in his hand." This was news to Takato, but he let Ryo go on. "And Cronus was the one that found the cure for Henry and her back outside of Galatea."

"Yikes." Was all Takato could come up with.

"Hey, do you think Reed was working with the Destroyer?"

Takato shrugged. "Maybe. Does it really matter anymore?"

Reed was dead, that _was_ what mattered. Not that Takato was _glad_ a human had died, but he _had_ tried to hurt his friends.

When Ryo didn't answer, Takato sat up and looked at him. Ryo's expression was of horror.

"Ryo?"

He looked back at Takato. "I think Reed _was_ working with the Destroyer."

"Why's that?"

"Back when he was trying to turn over Rika, Cronus and me to that thing…this—this _fire_ came out of his hands…it wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before."

Ryo'd told Takato about it before, but Takato didn't know what to think about it.

"Well, you've got that energy whip thing in your D-Arc that you used to keep Cyberdramon in line, wasn't it like that?" Takato asked.

"No." Ryo shook his head, terror still on his face. "I think it was a digimon's attack—I think it was Zhuqiaomon's."

It was Takato's turn to feel doubtful. "You think he _absorbed_ a Sovereign?"

"Isn't it possible?" Ryo asked. "He had those papers with information on the Destroyer, and if the Destroyer was working with him, he could have given him the power to—"

"You said Reed was trying to trade you guys for someone—" Takato interrupted, catching on. "One of the remaining Sovereign?"

"…Man." Ryo concluded, laying back down. "It's terrific how I don't think he's dead anymore."

Takato, too, lay back down. After another silent moment, Ryo broke the tension.

"This is a really big problem, isn't it?"

"Reed?" Takato asked in disbelief.

"No, us. Everyone." Ryo explained, as neither of them moved. "We've been here not even two weeks, and already everyone's keeping secrets from everyone else."

"Yeah, I guess we have." Takato hadn't even thought about it until then, but as he did, it hit him. But it didn't make sense—he trusted his friends—trusted them with his life, even. But why wasn't he telling them about Baihumon?

_It would worry them._

"I guess I just don't want to worry them." Takato said softly.

"Yeah, well…" Ryo challenged. "The last time you tried handling everything yourself you got into the kind of trouble that made us all think you were dead for like two months."

"What can I say? I'm very talented." Takato replied half-serious.

"Well, I'll make you a deal." Ryo said. "We just won't keep anything from each other, alright? No hiding crap to protect each others feelings or whatever. You're my best friend, and I trust you—deal?"

Takato nodded. "Yeah. Deal."

"I go first?" Ryo suggested.

"Yeah, sure."

"When Henry and Rika got sick, the cure that Cronus found had a hitch." Ryo breathed heavily. "Everyone that lived there would have to abandon the village or die once we activated it."

_What…?_

"What?" Takato said, sitting up.

Ryo didn't meet his gaze. "It was the only way to save them." When Ryo finally looked up, Takato couldn't find it in himself to judge him, because if it had been Jeri, Takato would have done the exact same thing.

"Your turn." Ryo stated.

Takato had to think about it. "I told Rika that her father'd been working with Valn a few years back, and that Valn turned on him and made him that monster that almost killed you."

Takato had done it after Ryo's mother had died. Ryo's brother, Will, had been tremendously depressed, and Ryo wanted to get him out of Shinjuku—the two of them would move anywhere. Takato knew that Will did like it there, however, and he knew that if he told Rika, it would be Ryo's only chance of having her forgive him for ever leaving.

"Yeah, I figured that one out." Ryo responded. "Thanks."

"No problem." Takato replied. "Your go."

"Oh." Ryo declared thoughtfully. "I was supposed to be spending the day back in the real world tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"Tomorrow's day twelve." Ryo explained. "Yamaki told me I could head back for the day to check up on Will and get some supplies and all that."

"You can still go, Ryo."

"No, I wasn't complaining." Ryo clarified. "I trust your parents're taking care of him well enough, anyways. Here's where I need to be."

Takato nodded. He _did_ need Ryo there—he was the name that came to the top of the list when Yamaki had told him to put the team together.

It dawned on Takato why it was that Ryo even brought it up. "You were gonna tell him you're really his brother?"

"…Yeah." Ryo admitted. "But it can wait. It can be my incentive to make sure the world stays there."

"Fair enough."

_Right, my turn._

"The night after we left Sarian," Takato started. "Cronus was sleepwalking, and when he woke up he said—"

"—that something was calling him?" Ryo finished.

_Yeah._

"Rika told you about that one, huh?"

Ryo just nodded. "Don't be mad at her."

Takato shook his head. "No, I get it." Rika trusted him. That was good. "How's it going with you guys, anyways?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean being around her twenty-four-seven."

"Right." Ryo said with a chuckle. "_That_. It's going alright, I guess. I still can't figure out where it is she's standing…one minute she'll be really nice to me, then the next she's downright pissed off that I'm alive."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault." Ryo said apathetically. "How about you and Jeri?"

"Good, I think." Takato scratched his head. "I think it's a little weird for her, being back in the digital world and all. Without Leomon, I mean."

"Yeah, I could understand that." Ryo nodded. "It's weird, how on the time we were all here that led to the D-Reaper, we had so many digimon on our team…Lopmon, MarineAngemon, Terriermon, Leomon—Guilmon…it's almost like it's not right without them all here."

Takato's gut twisted. He _had_ felt pretty useless since they got there…Cronus had managed to save both Rika and Ryo, but Takato wasn't even there for either case.

"We the useless…" he murmured.

"No, I—I didn't mean it like that." Ryo apologized, embarrassed. He sighed, and Takato silently grinned as he struggled. "Today's not my day for words."

"It's cool." Takato told him. "Hey, you said Guilmon when you listed the digimon there."

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering why."

He looked at him, and Ryo shrugged. "Well, I get that he's Cronus now, and all that, it's just that I think of them as two separate individuals, you know? I mean now he can do algebra homework like it's nothing, but just a few years ago he got frustrated eating pasta."

"No, he still does that." Takato snickered.

"Oh. Well, you get what I mean, right?"

"Yeah." Takato replied. "I guess that makes sense." Takato, personally didn't think of them as two different beings. The only challenge he faced himself was remembering which name to call him. Sure, it sucked having Guilmon's power erased, but Takato was so grateful to have him around as Cronus every day, as a human.

"We should probably get back to the camp." Ryo suggested, standing up. "Deal with the inevitable mutiny and all that."

_Do we have to?_

"You're right." Takato agreed, climbing to his feet. "Let's go."

* * *

When they got back to the camp, there were several different campfires burning. Rika sat alone at one, Jeri alone at another, and Kazu, Guardromon, and Henry at a third.

Of course, Jeri was at the top of his list, so he headed towards her as she remained sitting on a log next to the fire. A glance away told Takato Kazu and Henry were asleep already, at least, pretending to sleep, and that Ryo was approaching Rika.

"Hey," he said, sitting next to her.

"Hey." She whispered back.

Takato looked around for some topic of discussion other than the obvious one, finding nothing. What was he to say?

_So, this apocalypse is gonna be cool, huh? Let's all split up so we can all get different views. I'm such a dumbass_...

However, Jeri started the discussion _for_ him.

"There's more to what you already said, isn't there?" It was more of a statement than a question. She already knew, but was apparently looking for some form of confirmation.

"Yeah." Takato nodded.

"I've got faith that you know what you're doing, Takato." Jeri smiled at him. It was one of her smiles that made him weak in the knees. Fortunately, they were sitting.

"Really?" Takato flashed a grin at her. "Why's that?"

"Because you're you." She declared.

Takato's grin changed to a full-fledged smile.

* * *

Ryo didn't actually _want_ to go near Rika—it was just that the best place for him to set up a fire of his own was _past_ her. And so he walked, as discreetly as possible past her, so as not to upset her.

"Ryo, wait."

He did, but he had his guard up.

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely, looking him in the eye. "I'm sorry I yelled at you this morning."

Ryo gave a little smile. She'd really hurt his feelings—it gave him the impression that she didn't want him anywhere near her at all, as friends or otherwise. He didn't know if she was apologizing because she was genuinely sorry, or if she felt guilty, or if everyone was pressuring her to, but in any case, it was something.

"I'm sorry I pissed you off." Ryo admitted. He'd decided he'd give up the shameless flirting for a while if it was capable of exploding like that.

Rika smiled weakly, looking down to the fire. He noticed a tear slide down her cheek, and a moment later, he could tell that she was sobbing, weakly.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly, still not moving, as he stood opposite her, the fire in between them.

"I just—" Rika stammered, looking between him and the space past him awkwardly. "I've got this really bad feeling that we're not gonna make it through this in one piece." She trailed off, before hitting him with an emotional hammer. "And I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Rika…"

* * *

Takato'd managed to sleep relatively well that night. He'd talked with Jeri for a few hours more, and even though he didn't get a _lot_ of sleep, he felt surprisingly rejuvenated. In a sense, he wanted to get moving, so he could find Baihumon. But on the other hand, he was so content with Jeri asleep in his arms, and it might be a while before all his friends were together like that.

He felt her stir, and mumble as she woke up.

"Sleep well?" Takato asked her.

"Yeah." Jeri nodded. "You?"

Takato nodded back.

"Are you ready?" she asked him.

"Yeah." He stood up, and helped her to her feet.

* * *

His friends stood in the groups he'd determined the night before. Giz, Ryo, and Cyberdramon in one; Jeri, Kazu, Henry, and Guardromon in another; Rika with Renamon; and Cronus and himself.

Things seemed to be better between Rika and Ryo, though the awkwardness between them seemed to be at an all-time peak. Takato didn't question it just then, he decided he'd wait until he met up with them later, after he found Baihumon. They gave their 'be careful's, said their goodbyes, and like it was a class of kids leaving school for the summer, they were on their way.

* * *

Finally, I'm all caught up now. And it looks like this story's past 40000 words. Sorry about the backup in the weekly updates, I'll do my best to stay on track here.

Review!

-N


	8. Prophecies

**Previously:**

Jeri growled through grit teeth as calmly as she could. "But why are you helping me?"

She looked into his eyes; blue, but a lighter blue than Ryo's. He looked upset, and Jeri actually saw a caring human being in there. "Because this isn't the future that anybody wants."

"What does that have to do with—"

—and Jeri knew what he meant. He wanted her to stop all of this.

/ / /

"One person alone can't change the future." Jeri argued flatly.

Reed looked to her. "I have faith in you."

/ / /

"We already knew," Takato started. "that when Sarian was attacked, it wasn't random, it was planned—carefully. They wanted Giz. Because he knew where to find the Sovereign."

/ / /

Reed pushed her aside, and swung his arm at it while it was still in the air, a red arc of flame swinging at it, completely obliterating it.

She looked at him in confusion and fear. "What did—how did you do that?"

"When something in the digital world dies, its data can be absorbed by nearby entities. Sometimes that data can contain the ability to use one of its attacks."

/ / /

Ryo shook his head, terror still on his face. "I think it was a digimon's attack—I think it was Zhuqiaomon's."

It was Takato's turn to feel doubtful. "You think he absorbed a Sovereign?"

"Isn't it possible?" Ryo asked. "He had those papers with information on the Destroyer, and if the Destroyer was working with him, he could have given him the power to—"

/ / /

"Fun fact; Ryo and me go way back."

"You do?" she asked skeptically. "He never said anything about it."

"No, he wouldn't." Reed replied. "He doesn't remember, he couldn't. But—" he looked to her, worried, again. "But don't tell him. There's a reason he doesn't remember."

/ / /

"What's our next move, then?" Rika asked.

Takato looked back to her. "We're splitting up."

* * *

**Prophecies:**

Reed sighed as he got out of bed, his dreams abandoning him to his reality.

_Got another day of this ahead of me. And another after that, and another after that…_

He'd grown tired of this ever since he started. But it was what needed to be done—regardless of whether or not he liked it.

As evil as the Destroyer was, it didn't skimp on his accommodations—Reed's room was huge—big bed, surprisingly well-decorated, nice furniture—Reed would have wondered how it had such good taste if he actually cared. He figured it was because Reed was so important to the Destroyer's own plans.

_Whatever_.

He stood in front of the mirror, barely recognizing himself in it. His facial hair had grown out a little more, and he hated it. He didn't care too terribly about the look of it, but it itched when he moved his head, and by the time he was done scratching it his neck was sore and red.

What bothered him most in the mirror was how tired and old he looked. He felt like he were decades older—he was actually still young, but the dark circles under his eyes never seemed to go away, no matter how much sleep he had—but he did his best to ignore it; it was a price he was willing to pay.

It was exhausting, though—he'd spent so much time carefully making his plans—he knew the role he'd written for himself, down to the word. But things had been different…the arrival of the Tamers in the digital world wasn't something he'd been planning on. It didn't matter, though. Reed was already manipulating so much in the digital world. They were too far in the dark to affect his plans at all. Everyone was. Even the Destroyer would be at his mercy by the time Reed had accomplished what he'd set out to do. The Tamers were just some more game pieces he had to figure out how to move around the board.

He was still staring in the mirror, looking into his own eyes which he still barely recognized. He hadn't seen himself in weeks—there'd been so much work to do. He'd forgotten he had blue eyes. It was one of the things that she'd fallen for. He glanced down to the picture that sat on the dresser—there she was, sitting on a swing, smiling at him. It was the same smile in the picture she'd made the day before he left—the smile he tried to avoid seeing.

She hadn't understood anything. He thought she would have, but she didn't. He'd never been so heartbroken as when she told him she wouldn't be going to the digital world with him. 'You won't find anything there', is what she'd said. He had, though…he found purpose. He slowly reached and put the picture face-down, not finding himself able to look at her. Her smiling.

There was one other picture on the shelf that he hadn't turned over. It was taken the same day as the picture with the swing…this one was a little boy on a slide, with Reed at the bottom waiting to catch him. Him. He'd been so scared, not wanting to let himself let go of the sides of it and start moving. But Reed had told him he'd enjoy it, and the boy trusted him. The picture was taken during one of the next thirty times the boy had pleaded to go again, and Reed sure didn't mind. In the picture, the boy was grinning widely, and even Reed was smiling towards the camera. He left that picture facing him. It was why Reed was doing what he was. It was all for him.

But that was another lifetime ago. Sort of. Six months. He should be four years old now.

He put on a pair of cargo pants he'd brought with him, then rummaged around for a shirt. He settled for a black button-up one he'd bought back when life was simpler. He put in his contacts, and ran a hand back and forth roughly through his hair to stop it from sticking up so ridiculously. It looked messy, but good, not that it mattered at all.

Reed sat on the edge of his bed as he put on a pair of socks—until something caught his attention in the corner of his eye—a light.

He pretended he didn't notice it, but his hand had already found its way to the knife he kept on his belt. He clenched it tightly, and in one motion, spun around with it raised, ready to bring it down and end the life of whatever dared to sneak up on him from behind—

—and the knife fell to the floor with a loud _clink_ as he realized what was there. The boy. Glowing. Ruffled blonde hair, eyes so light brown that they were almost red. Just like in the picture, it was him. The cause of all of this. Of everything.

"Carter…?" Reed whispered in disbelief.

Little Carter, four years old. He wore a white t-shirt and a pair of white baggy pants, and no shoes or socks. But what was as astonishing as seeing him, was that he wasn't smiling. A frown was something that had always been foreign to the young boy's face.

"Carter?" Reed repeated, louder. "How…?"

A tear rolled down Carter's cheek and as he looked down, it fell to the ground, though it disappeared when it was supposed to have touched. Reed watched on.

_This isn't real…this can't be real—_

He wanted it to be, though. But Carter turned and walked through the door, passing through it as if it wasn't even there. Reed wasn't ready to leave it at that, though. He raced towards the door, pulling it open hard and dashing out. He looked to each side quickly. There was a light down the hall and around the corner. It was him, it had to be.

Reed was barefoot, his socks and shoes still in his room, and the floor was cold under his feet, though he didn't waver.

_Doesn't he remember me?_

He raced around the corner, and he saw Carter pass through another door. He was getting closer, and as he charged into the room, he was as alone as when he woke up.

"Carter?" he called. "Carter!"

It was then that Reed realized where he was—the room was smaller than his own, and there was a chair in the middle surrounded by a semi-circular computer. The computers had many screens, and in the very middle, there was a headset—the headset had a translucent red visor on it, and a microphone built in.

It was the room that Reed had been leading the Tamers around as the voice in their heads they so conveniently and obediently followed. Why had Carter led him there? There wasn't any reason to—

_Cronus…?_

It was the one thing Reed could come up with—the one connection between the Tamers and Carter. Reed had almost been stunned to see Cronus the first time—and even if he wasn't Carter, it was why Reed had bothered to heal him when his knife pierced Cronus's hand. Because he looked like him. Because he looked _just_ like him.

He looked around the room once more, hoping the boy would return. He didn't. Reed's stomach sank as he allowed himself to accept that it wasn't Carter, but just his imagination.

Sitting down in the chair, still barefoot, Reed looked at the screens. Things were getting more complicated for him—far more complicated than he liked. The Tamers had split up, though, which made Reed's work much easier. It was much easier to send them messages when they were alone or in small groups. He had sent one to Ryo back when they first got to the digital world, when he and Cronus were about to be attacked. Ryo'd barely listened though, so it didn't matter. He withheld communications with Ryo until Rika and Henry had fallen ill—a key moment in Reed's plans. By that point Reed had factored the Tamers into his plans, and he didn't feel like changing them again. Reed had tried sending some messages to Cronus while he was asleep to bring him to where Reed resided, but he was woken up because Rika and Takato had gotten in his way. Bastards.

The only time Reed had talked to any of them while they were in a group was when Jeri Kato had been ready to use a data spike. She'd listened, which had surprised Reed. What surprised him even _more_ was that she knew _exactly_ what was wrong with that spot—that data need to be extracted, rather than inserted. Jeri was a subject of much interest to Reed. She was intrigued by him, even though she'd never even seen his face. Reed had watched as she'd talked to Rika about him, though the conversation had been cut short when both girls fell into some sort of trap.

It had been a thorn in his side. They had managed to find Giz, the Gazimon that Reed went through so much effort to have captured and tortured.

_The brave little shit didn't give us anything, either._

The Tamers pissed Reed off, a lot. It wasn't how they were so goody-goody. It wasn't even how they made him look even worse than he already did. It wasn't that they were getting in the way of his plans, because they weren't. It was that they were so tangled up in their own crap that they were always ever-so-surprised when something happened that they didn't notice.

One of Reed's subordinates was on duty at the time Rika and Jeri found Giz—fallen _asleep_ on duty, to be specific. So when Reed entered to take over, and the Tamers were already splitting up to find the last of the Sovereign, he wanted some answers which the agent hadn't been able to give. He hadn't lasted a second when Reed used Zhuqiaomon's fire on him. A messy cloud of data later, Reed had taken the surveillance of the group entirely into his own hands. He still didn't know how much they knew, though, because none of them actually _talked_ to each other.

_Whatever._

Reed had been surprised to see Cyberdramon rejoin the group. Bothered might be a better word to describe it; even if Ryo didn't remember who Reed really was, Cyberdramon _might_. The memory reconditioning that Ryo had been subjected to a few years back had erased Reed from his memories—and possibly Cyberdramon's as well, since they were so obviously connected. However, there remained the possibility that Cyberdramon _would _remember Reed. If that were the case, he would have to be eliminated.

"Sir?" one of the Destroyer's agents called in.

"What?" Reed replied, still staring at the Tamers on the screens.

"Can I get you anything?"

"A coffee." Reed answered instantly, realizing his eyes were sore. "One creamer. And if it's too full, I'll tear your throat out."

"Y—yes sir."

Reed would have felt bad about it if he hadn't determined his conscience was getting in the way of his mission. The Destroyer and his lackies were evil. Reed was still relatively neutral. So it was okay.

He put the headset on, the red visor distorting his vision as it lit up displaying several different angles of one of the groups. Reed leaned back in the chair as he watched and listened, curious as to what Ryo Akiyama was talking to his friends about.

* * *

"I hope everyone's alright." Ryo blurted out, cutting the silence. Cyberdramon and Giz looked at him curiously.

"Everyone just left two hours ago." Giz declared. "None of them will be anywhere near where they should be."

Ryo rolled his eyes at his anxiousness. What was wrong with him? First off, Takato could take care of himself; second, Cronus had proven to Ryo that he was fully capable of protecting people; and third, it was still far too early—Takato wouldn't be near his destination yet.

Even if it _had_ only been a few hours, Ryo had spent the entire time frustrated that he let Takato go to find Baihumon with only Cronus to back him up. Ryo and Cyberdramon should be there too, it only made sense. But, it was also true that Giz would want an escort back to Sarian, and that was fully justified as well. Ryo couldn't risk something else attacking and capturing him. True, Ryo was impressed he had withstood whatever torture was inflicted upon him, but he didn't want to take any more chances that anything else like that should befall him, let alone the information he knew be shared.

The walk was rather quiet, mainly because it took Ryo great focus to not ask aloud how the others were doing. He should have gone with Takato. The others would be safe, in all likelihood, but Takato and Cronus were heading towards the most obvious target for the Destroyer and his fun little friends.

Ryo spoke, though, when a hill caught his eye up ahead.

"Uh, if you guys don't feel like walking up that," Ryo started, picking up his pace. "You can wait here for a sec. I want to get a look around. Higher ground, you know?"

By the end he was just rambling, but it seemed like Giz and Cyberdramon were coming with him, which was fine. A short walk later, Ryo was staring at the landscape below him. While it wasn't especially remarkable, it was still very beautiful…trees, fields, a lake…and a dark spot, far off ahead, which Ryo _did_ recognize.

It was the crater that Reed had led them to when he tried to turn them over to that thing.

_Wait, no, it can't be, we're nowhere _near_ that area_.

It looked the same, though. However different two giant holes in the ground could be, it looked to be the same size as the one Reed had taken them to. Only this one had a lot of trees growing in a forest to one side of it.

"Do either of you know what that is?" Ryo asked, looking to his friends.

Cyberdramon grunted, looking around.

"No, look at this." Ryo said, turning back to the crater.

"Oh, my God…" Giz started. "It's—a _hole_." he concluded with false fascination, the statement absolutely dripping with sarcasm.

Ryo didn't bother smiling, but was too curious. "We've seen one of these before." Ryo explained. "A few days south-west of here. What would cause that?"

"I wanna see." Giz hopped forward and hurried down the hill, but by the time Ryo could think to protest he was already following him, Cyberdramon behind him. It took several minutes to actually get to where they'd looked, but when they did, Ryo felt déjà vu when they approached its side.

_Reed was standing there, Cronus was there, Rika was there, I was here…_

"Hmm." Giz mumbled, looking around, touching the dirt. He approached the side of it, knelt down, and leaned in.

"H—hey!" Ryo stammered. "Be careful."

Giz pulled himself up, and headed towards Ryo and Cyberdramon.

"I think a battle was fought here." Giz concluded.

"A battle?" Ryo repeated. "Made _that_?"

"I think so…" he explained. "We don't have meteors or anything, and the ground itself looks as if it was forced in, so it isn't natural. And on the inside the dirt's darker, it was probably burned."

Something caught Ryo's eye. There was something watching. He was far away, in front of the forest that lined the crater, but Ryo's eyes were good enough to recognize it as a person. A human.

_Reed?_

"Guys." Ryo said quietly and calmly, turning to them but not taking his eyes off of the person. "There's someone over there."

"Where?" Giz asked, looking around.

"Over by those trees." Ryo answered, finally turning all the way to it, still staring at the person.

"I—" Giz started, then paused. "I see nothing."

_Damnit._

"_Hey_!" Ryo called, running towards the person. When he got closer, he could see that it was a boy, and the eerie thing was that he looked exactly like Cronus.

_What the hell's…?_

But when he got too close, the boy turned around and ran, quickly, through the forest. Ryo shot a glance behind him, and saw that Cyberdramon and Giz were following him.

Ryo was hot on the kid's trail, but he moved impressively fast. At last, he caught up with him, the boy standing still, not out of breath, as Ryo was, staring at him, calmly. He wore all white, and stood barefoot on the leaves.

Ryo held his hands up as if signifying that he wasn't a threat. "Hey, please don't run away, I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Ryo!" Giz called from behind him.

"Here." Ryo said loudly, looking at the boy. "Who are you?"

"Ryo." Giz repeated as he came up from behind. "What're you doing?"

Ryo was hesitant to take his eyes off the boy. But he caved and he did, and when he looked from Giz to the boy, the boy was gone.

"There—just there in the trees—" Ryo stammered. "Didn't you _see_ that?"

Giz and Cyberdramon looked at each other. Giz spoke. "I was staring _right_ where you were pointing. There was _nothing_ there, Ryo."

But there _was_ something there. The little boy'd been there. Cronus, but smaller.

* * *

Reed was intrigued. He'd seen _everything_ around them, and even ran a scan, and there really was nothing there. Just what was it that Ryo was seeing?

* * *

"What did you see?" Cyberdramon asked in a grunt.

Ryo sighed. "Just forget it."

There was no point in arguing it with them, they clearly wouldn't believe him—especially since he was starting to doubt himself. Until he saw the outline of something round in the ground where the boy had stood. Ryo approached it, stood on it, turning around as he examined the perimeter. It was clearly not just an indention, but this ground had been either cut out or placed there recently. Ryo jumped, stamping his feet hard on the ground—

—and it did the trick, as it started sinking lower; Ryo jumped off to the side, watching it intently, as Cyberdramon and Giz did, too. It sank perhaps about a foot, loud and mechanical, then completely disappeared, leaving a round hole; inside of which, were a flight of stone stairs which coiled farther underground.

* * *

_Oh, don't you _dare…

Reed's eyes widened as he saw Ryo and his friends stare into the pit—into the entrance.

He pulled the headset off quickly, and hurried out of the room, his boots echoing loudly as he hurried up the several flights of stairs to the top of the structure—towards the room in which he communicated with the Destroyer. He was supposed to knock, but he really didn't care.

Reed slammed the bottom of his boot at the door hard, and it swung open, crashing against the adjacent wall with a dull metal _clunk_. He marched quickly into the dark room, the only light present being what entered in from behind him.

The screen suddenly came on, and the silhouette spoke.

"What is the meaning of this?" the voice demanded indignantly.

"We've got a huge problem."

* * *

_What in the world _is_ this place?_

Ryo looked to the walls, which seemed to be a mixture of writing, symbols, and art. He approached the wall to his left, gently running a finger down the indentations, feeling the textures of what appeared to be a mix of sand and stone.

* * *

"He won't learn _anything_!" the voice hissed angrily. "Now return to your work at _once!_"

Reed grit his teeth, and left the room without a word.

_Whatever._

* * *

"Fallen…human…" Cyberdramon said slowly. "The Guardian…"

"Cyberdramon, are you saying you can actually read this?"

He looked to his partner, who sniffed and then finally grunted. "It speaks of the Sovereign. And of the Destroyer."

Ryo approached the wall, examining one of the symbols that Cyberdramon described; he thought that at first glance it was a portrayal of a clock—a circle composed of twelve small circles; inside that, another four spaced in a square, with a golden hexagon in the center.

_No…Twelve, four, one…twelve Devas protect the four Sovereign, who protect the Digital Plane._

Ryo looked around for what Cyberdramon referred to as a symbol of the Destroyer, but he couldn't find anything nearly as legible as what he thought was the symbol for the Devas and Sovereign.

"Where'd you learn to read this?" Giz asked, approaching the wall and inspecting it closely.

"I never said I could read it." Cyberdramon grumbled.

_What?_

"But you just—" Ryo stammered, confused. That symbol he saw _had_ to represent the Sovereign…twelve, four, one. What else could it have been?

"I didn't _read_ it, I recognized it."

_Recognized?_

"From where?" Ryo asked, looking back to the wall. Ryo'd been surprised—he couldn't actually picture Cyberdramon sitting and reading a book.

"From the D-Reaper." Cyberdramon answered. "When we were inside it, it was _spewing_ data—human history, mathematical theorems—language. It wanted to learn everything it could about humanity. I think most of us got _something_ from it, too."

"Things like this?" Ryo asked, doubtfully.

"It's a mix of computer code, and several ancient methods of human language."

"Like what?" Giz sounded as confused as Ryo felt.

Cyberdramon indicated a patch of scribbles on the wall.

"Binary."

Ryo leaned in, and saw that it was extremely small, but it was definitely a series of ones and zeroes. He stared at it as Cyberdramon indicated several more parts on the wall.

"Hexadecimal." Several more parts. "Hebrew. Hieroglyphics. Latin. Aramaic."

"Fantastic." Ryo said, hurriedly. "What do they say?"

"I can't read any of them." Cyberdramon replied as coldly as he typically spoke. "But that symbol there," he pointed to the one Ryo had already figured out. "depicts the digital world itself, specifically the Sovereign. And this one over here," he pointed next to a small word written in characters Ryo didn't recognize. "it translates to 'end of time'."

"Like infinity?" Giz asked casually.

"No, the _end_ of time."

"Like the end of the worlds." Ryo sighed audibly. "The Destroyer."

_Fantastic._

"How'd you know that?" Giz asked.

Cyberdramon pointed at the symbol. "I don't know. But I'm certain that that is what it represents."

"Does it happen to mention what _causes_ the apocalypse?"

Cyberdramon spoke quietly. "Maybe. But I can't read any of it."

_Shit._

Ryo wasn't angry at Cyberdramon or anything, he was just extremely frustrated. He'd just made a discovery of something that might give them some insight into the Destroyer, but he wasn't a linguist, and therefore it might as well not even exist. And he didn't have the pictures that Kazu had taken of Reed's documents to compare what Yamaki had translated. He didn't even have a communicator to get a hold of Yamaki.

"Alright," Ryo nodded. "Let's figure out as much of it as we can."

* * *

Once again, Reed stormed into the room to the same furious greeting as before.

"He's _translating _it." Reed said very calmly.

"How much?"

"Enough. He knows about your coming." Reed answered. "And it's only a matter of time before he gets the rest."

"How long would it take to get out there and kill him?"

Reed thought about it. He could probably get there in ten minutes. But then again, that would mean Reed would have to rush, and he might get blood all over his favorite pants. "Three hours." He answered.

"Alright." The figure told him. "Cut all surveillance of him."

"_What?_" Reed asked indignantly. "Why the _hell_ would we want to do that?"

"Just make it happen."

Reed knew exactly why the boss wanted that. There was something in there about it that it didn't want Reed to learn, and Reed _would_ learn of it if he was watching Ryo while _he_ learned it. But if Reed didn't cut the surveillance of Ryo, then Mr. High-and-Mighty would know, and Reed wasn't powerful enough just yet. Still, he had to at least argue it.

"If Ryo manages to gather enough power to protect the Sovereign—" Reed snarled at the screen, angrily.

"Then we'll just have to distract him."

"And just how do you propose we go about doing that?" Reed was getting bothered. This thing didn't _know_ Ryo Akiyama. Not what he was capable of—not the lengths he'd go to do what he has to.

"Simple." The voice replied calmly. "We just take away what he holds most valuable."

Reed stared at the screen, unwavering. Just what did this thing assume Ryo held above all else? And then he realized what was meant—

—_the girl…? _

"She is alone, is she not?" the voice asked.

"Alone enough." Reed said with a nod. "Just her partner, which won't be a problem."

"Where is she headed?"

"East of where I last saw her."

"You've lost surveillance of her?"

"Yes." Reed admitted quickly. "But she'll no doubt arrive in the capital in a few days' time. It will be easy to direct an attack on her from there."

"She's headed towards Hyperion?" the voice sounded angry.

"What's the big deal?" Reed taunted. "Got something to hide?"

"Know your place, human."

Reed rolled his eyes, and started out of the room. "One more thing. I think it's about time that I pay another visit to Cronus."

"Very well. Make sure you bring him back in one piece."

"Mmm." Reed mumbled, as he headed out and towards his room.

* * *

"What's the Guardian?" Ryo asked Cyberdramon as he looked at the wall helplessly. Ryo had been curious as to what Cyberdramon had meant by it.

"The humans made the digital world." Giz answered carefully. "But the Guardian made us 'alive', so to speak."

"Alive?"

"Why we are more than just weapons." Cyberdramon explained.

_Ah._ Ryo wanted to know more, but it didn't seem like either of them were extremely comfortable talking about it.

"Actually," Giz said, breaking the silence. "I think these craters were made fighting the Destroyer."

"What? When?"

"Here." Giz said, running a finger along a line of text. "It says that the Guardian forced him into the ground…" Giz paused. "Huh."

"What?"

Giz examined the code again. "I'm pretty sure this says his body was destroyed."

Ryo thought for a moment. Reed's papers mentioned the Destroyer. It was _possible_ that it was just something from the past, but Ryo doubted it. Because it didn't explain why the Sovereign were being taken out.

"So maybe there isn't any Destroyer anymore?" Giz suggested hopefully.

"No." Cyberdramon answered quickly. "Read this here."

Ryo and Giz hurried over. "'Great—hero…the Destroyer returns'…" Giz stopped for a moment. "Darn."

"What was that about a great hero?" Ryo asked.

"I'm not sure. The part before it isn't in anything I can read, so it's difficult to translate this when I have no sense of the context. It's probably something saying the Destroyer will be killed by a great hero, or maybe he'll _kill_ a great hero. Which helps us with absolutely nothing."

They actually had gotten a good amount out of it. A lot of what was there was written in computer code, which Giz and Cyberdramon _could_ translate, so there were just some holes here and there.

"About this Guardian…" Ryo started carefully, not wanting to upset them, but needing to know. "If he did this kind of damage, and if he beat up the Destroyer at least once before, would he help us fight it again?"

The two digimon looked to each other, and somehow Ryo knew that he wasn't going to get the answer he was hoping for.

"That's—" Giz started uneasily. "that's not exactly an option."

"Why?"

"Because for one, nobody knows how to _get_ to the Guardian," Giz answered. "And two, the idea of it is blasphemous enough that we'd have every digimon in the world against us."

Ryo thought about it for a second. There wasn't any point to pressing them any further, especially since it he had to talk to his friends. To Takato. To Rika. Ryo understood with a special clarity that it was thin ice he was walking on in enlisting this _Guardian_ digimon to fight the Destroyer for them, but it was the only surefire way they could count on—fewest possible casualties.

He was very worried, though. Great hero…what if it _was_ someone that the Destroyer would kill? He thought of his friends, of the peril he now had to consider them all in. He wouldn't let anything happen to them, plain and simple. Not a chance Rika was going to die, and he wasn't losing Takato again—none of them. Henry, Cronus, Kazu, Jeri… It was as simple as that.

Unlike most of the people on the team who didn't believe in destiny. It seemed to be something that Jeri, Rika, Takato, and hell, even Kazu considered something to be guiding their lives. But Ryo wasn't really religious, or spiritual, or anything like that, really…neither was Henry, for that matter. They were both behind science enough that the idea that they had no control over what happened to them was just frightening.

Fortunately, Ryo's belief gave him strength there. Because if it meant that one of them would kill the Destroyer, then they win. And when Ryo didn't _let_ the Destroyer kill any of his friends, they win again. Simple.

"I think we should go find the others." Ryo said, turning from the inscriptions to his friends.

"But—" Cyberdramon started in a low voice, indicating Giz. "What about him?"

"I'll come too." Giz said casually.

"No, Cyberdramon's right, I'll take you back to Sarian, then—"

"Or not." Giz snorted. "Come on, we need to find your friends, soon."

* * *

Look at me! I finally got around to giving the title some significance by explaining who that creepy little boy is! Over the next few chapters, we'll get into who Carter is, and why he looks exactly like Cronus, what the hell Reed's problem is, and just how different his agenda is from the Destroyer's.

Things are really picking up, huh? Hope it's not getting unbearably confusing…the next chapter should be decent, it's mostly a Takato one, with a few segments in Jeri's and Reed's POV's.

The one after the next one, "Tracked Down", is the one I'm looking forward to most, though.

Review, please!

'Til next time!

-N


	9. The Man Behind The Curtain

**Previously:**

"Cronus!" Takato called. "Are you okay?"

"I—I think so." Cronus said, standing up with Takato's help. "I felt kinda funny there for a second."

"Did you get any of your powers back?" Takato asked him.

A beat passed. Then, quietly, almost sorrowfully: "No. They're gone."

"It's okay." Takato said, patting him on the shoulder. "We'll all be fine if we stick together."

/ / /

"Reed...he chose to do what he did—lying to us, trying to trade us to that thing…" Cronus went on. "And I think he's the first person I've ever actually hated."

Rika looked away from him, a little ashamed. "Yeah, we hate people sometimes. Was it not like that when you were Guilmon?"

"Not like this." He shook his head "Right now it's—it's just all I can think about."

He looked to her, almost helplessly. "How do I stop feeling like this?"

/ / /

"Have you ever been in love?" Cronus asked suddenly, and though Rika should have been expecting it, it still took her off guard.

She wanted to be honest with him, but she had to evaluate it herself. "Yeah. I think so."

Cronus looked curious, and he spoke again. "Are you still?" he asked.

Here, Rika didn't have an answer for him, except for a defeated shrug. "I'm not sure."

He turned away from her, looking at his shoelaces. "I think Ryo loves you very much."

/ / /

"Ryo…?" Cronus asked slowly, but suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Will feeling love…" Cronus said, his voice barely above a whisper. "…make me—complete?"

Ryo didn't know what to say.

"Cronus…?"

Cronus stood up, dusting the dirt off of his pants. "Forget it. Let's get back to the others."

/ / /

"What's our next move, then?" Rika asked.

"We're splitting up."

/ / /

The knife fell to the floor with a loud clink as he realized what was there. The boy. Glowing. Ruffled blonde hair, eyes so light brown that they were almost red. Just like in the picture, it was him. The cause of all of this. Of everything.

"Carter…?" Reed whispered in disbelief.

/ / /

Reed rolled his eyes, and started out of the room. "One more thing. I think it's about time that I pay another visit to Cronus."

"Very well. Make sure you bring him back in one piece."

"Mmm." Reed mumbled, as he headed out and towards his room.

* * *

**The Man Behind The Curtain:**

The rock that Takato aimed to drag his foot at turned out to have been bigger than he thought, as he could tell from the weight of it that what he could see was only the peak of it breaking the surface of the ground below—the ground that raced towards him as he fell forward.

_I'm such a loser._

Takato laughed, and Cronus joined in as he helped him up.

"That was pretty graceful." Cronus noted. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Takato nodded as they started moving again.

"Did you notice anybody acting strange before we left?" Cronus asked.

Takato nodded, wondering when one of them would mention it. "They're all pretty pissed."

"About everyone going different ways?"

"Yeah."

"Why are we, again?"

Takato looked at him. "Because we need to find the remaining Sovereign."

Cronus seemed even more confused. "But we're going to where we know's Baihumon is most likely going to be, aren't we?"

"Right. But I need Kazu and Guardromon to look after Henry and Jeri, I need Ryo and Cyberdramon to get Giz back home, and I'm still hoping Rika and Renamon will come across Ebonwumon." Takato raised an eyebrow. "And you said you wanted to come with me."

"I know." Cronus said quickly and defensively. "And I still do. I was just—confused."

Takato still felt bad about his decision. He still believed it was the right call—more ground needed to be covered to find the last of the Sovereign. But he couldn't help but wonder if there was a better way he could have gone about it. He almost wished he hadn't learned from Giz the last known location of Baihumon.

"Jeri didn't seem mad about it." Cronus said brightly, seeming to be half-trying to change the topic of conversation.

Takato shook his head. "No, she didn't."

In fact, Jeri was the only one, besides Cronus and Ryo, who _had_ been supportive. Kazu, Rika, and Henry had been the ones to disapprove the most. Jeri, however, in addition to telling Takato that she trusted his judgment, had also seemed interested in traveling south.

"She seemed to want to go south." Takato recalled.

"I noticed that too." Cronus replied. "Why did she?"

"I don't know."

"Did you ask her?" the blonde boy inquired.

"No." Takato admitted. He probably should have—it was what a _real_ leader would have done.

"Well aren't you curious as to why?" Cronus now sounded more worried than curious, and more worried than Takato was.

"Yeah, I am." Takato finally said.

"Then why didn't you ask her?"

Takato looked to him. "Because I trust she knows what she's doing."

Cronus appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Because you love her?"

Though he felt confused with the direction of the discussion, Takato nodded. "Yes."

Their trust—Takato felt—_hoped_, really—was mutual. Jeri's words to him—she trusted him 'because he was him' had been very encouraging for Takato. It was what he needed to hear, and Jeri seemed to pick up on that. Takato could only hope that when Jeri needed support from someone, he would be able to say to her something that made as much a difference as what she said to him.

The walk continued, comparatively silent, and Takato soon noticed Cronus's walking pattern seem to falter, and when he looked at the former digimon's face, he appeared tired and sickly.

"Cronus, is everything alright?" Takato asked. "You've been acting kind of strange lately."

Takato felt bad as he realized that he'd said it almost accusingly, but his suspicions were confirmed with the sigh that Cronus gave. He knew he was about to get the answer, but he couldn't stop his mind from wandering to the infinite possibilities.

"Cronus?" he repeated.

"I—" the boy stammered, scratching his already messy hair. "Something's happening to me."

Takato could obviously not think of anything to say, and so he remained quiet and still and patient, giving Cronus the time he needed to think. It took more than a solid minute, which felt like longer in the uncomfortable silence.

"Do you remember when you first saw me like this?"

"Of course."

When he'd met Guilmon as a human, Takato had woken up in the digital world, and found out that Cronus had saved him. It wasn't until weeks later, though, that Takato or even Cronus learned the truth about him.

"Well I'm not—" he stammered. "I mean, what I mean is, I—um…"

He paused, then changed his tone completely. "Do you remember all that power I had?"

"Yeah." Takato nodded. It had been what had kept Cronus alive in that place, what kept him and Takato and Mala safe from the people that lived there.

"I don't have it anymore." Cronus explained as if Takato didn't already know.

"Yeah…?" Takato said slowly, as he waited for Cronus to complete his thought.

"It's just—the more _human_ I feel…" Cronus went on, slowly and uncomfortably, his face shifting expressions between every few words. "The more power I lose."

_Power?_

"What do you mean?"

"I mean just that." Cronus said with a sigh. "Since we've been back in the digital world, I can't keep a balance of power and humanity. When we got here, and I found out I didn't have any of my powers back, I—something _broke_ inside of me. And when Ryo got attacked by the Gaogamon underneath Sarian, I could fight because I just felt so detached from everybody. But as soon as that stopped—back when we met Reed—I was helpless again. And I—the more I feel, it gets worse."

Takato was silent as the events shot through his mind. When he'd first met Guilmon as Cronus, his humanity was giving him strength…he'd put his fist right through Dr. Nonaka. But—now his humanity was weakening him?

"Define 'worse'…?" Takato knew he didn't want to hear it, but also knew he had to.

Cronus just looked down, and shook his head slowly.

"This's been happening since we got back to the digital world?" Takato asked, trying to confirm the details.

Cronus nodded. "Yeah."

Two weeks. One of his best friends was basically suffering for two weeks, right under his nose, and he didn't know anything. But he wasn't there for him. He was busy with the mission, with Jeri, with convincing himself that everyone was alright and ready to keep moving. He wasn't there for him.

While Takato stood still, registering in his mind that maybe it could have been prevented, Cronus spoke.

"Will you choose for me?"

_Choose?_

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Choose what?"

"If I should stay human, or find a way to be Guilmon again."

Takato was adamant in his answer. "No."

Cronus looked upset. "Why not?"

"Because that's not my decision to make." He tried to explain. "It's _your_ life, and I'll be behind you either way, but _you_ need to choose how you want to live _your_ life. It's more choice than most people ever get."

Cronus sighed. "I'm a freak."

"You're unique." Takato corrected.

"That's a fancy word for 'alone'." Cronus muttered.

Maybe it was. Takato couldn't come up with any retaliation.

"This isn't fair." Cronus protested. "Nobody else in either world is like me. No digimon has to make this choice, and neither does any human. No matter what—even if people are surrounding me, I'm completely alone."

Takato felt terrible that he was unable to console one of his best friends from something that was clearly upsetting him so much. He couldn't do anything to help—couldn't correct the problem, or give an easy answer. Nothing.

"I'm sorry, Cronus." Takato's voice was weak but clear, though hesitant to make eye contact, he did. "I'm sorry that I've been so busy not doing anything that I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Cronus shrugged. "What you do is important."

"Still." Takato persisted. "If I'd at least made the effort to make sure you were alright back in the digital world, then maybe—"

"I—" Cronus interrupted him. "I don't wanna go back."

"Go back?" Takato repeated. "To being Guilmon?"

"Sort of." Cronus started, uncertain. "To not feeling this much."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong." Cronus said quickly. "Digital life feels emotion, for sure, but—it's not like this. I like this better."

"Nobody's telling you to change back." Takato reassured him.

"But I'm no good to anybody like this." Cronus protested. "I can't fight anymore."

"Cronus," Takato began carefully. "It's never been your ability to fight that's made me appreciate your being around. You've always given me insight into things, gave me support when I needed it…the power was just a bonus."

Cronus didn't look like he believed him. "Really?"

Takato nodded. "And, truth be told, I'm a lot happier being able to have you around everyday than making you hide out in the park, and staying out of sight."

A moment passed, and finally Cronus nodded.

"Alright." He said, his expression remaining solemn. "Thank you."

Takato just nodded as he considered things himself. Personally, he _was_ happier with Guilmon as Cronus—it meant he didn't have to hide him all the time. Why he remained silent, however, was because he wasn't entirely sure what Cronus wanted, or what Takato personally believed was best for him. On one hand, he clearly wanted to live as a human—but on the other, Cronus also wanted the power he needed to protect his friends. Cronus also clearly wanted to remain attached to human emotion, but if everyday human emotions were weakening or maybe even hurting him, what would happen if he were to, say, fall in love?

The rest of the walk was entirely silent. Even as a small village came into view, neither seemed to point it out—at first because of the silence, and with each passing moment, the opportunity to take note of it became less and less reasonable.

"Takato?" Cronus asked, causing him to turn around.

"Yeah?"

"Something's wrong."

Takato looked around. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure." Cronus said, looking around curiously, as if hoping to find something out of the ordinary. "It might be the Sovereign's power nearby."

Takato raised an eyebrow curiously. "You think?"

Cronus shrugged a little. "It's possible."

The pair hurried into the village. After a half hour of asking around, it turned out that while the village was essentially without a name, it was a settlement that was very old—and Takato _knew_ that the village was connected to the Sovereign in some way. He hoped that it was either Baihumon or Ebonwumon—the _remaining_ Sovereign.

None of the villagers they petitioned seemed willing to give them answers, so Takato eventually asked to speak with whoever was in charge of the place—he and Cronus were directed to a small dwelling, where a Kudamon lived. The two entered the weasel-like Digimon's home, who seemed anxious by their presence.

"Hello, sir…" Takato started politely. "My name's Takato Matsuda, and this is my brother Cronus."

It was something of a cover story they'd come up with back in the real world for introductions—they knew it would for the most part be best to keep things as simple as possible, so it was a lie Takato was willing to support since it was in everyone's best interests.

"We were hoping we could speak to you." Takato continued graciously.

"Alright." The Kudamon nodded. "I'll speak to you." He then turned to Cronus, and pointed. "But _that_ must wait outside."

_That?_

"Uh," Takato was perplexed. "Why?"

"It's alright." Cronus said quietly. "I'll wait for you out there."

While Takato was curious about the Kudamon's opinion of Cronus, it simply wasn't the time to deal with it.

"Something called the Destroyer is killing off the Sovereign." Takato said, not in the mood to sugar-coat the situation. "I know that Baihumon was seen here recently, and I need to know where he is now so I can warn him."

"The Sovereign…?" Kudamon repeated.

"Yes." Takato nodded impatiently. "Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon are already gone."

"So it's finally started…" Kudamon murmured.

"What…?" Takato gave him a look.

"If you are you have any hope of saving the future," the digimon told him. "you'll need to uncover the past, first."

"When did this all start?" Takato asked, frustrated.

"Thirteen years ago."

"Well, what happened?" Takato impatiently asked.

"That question is your journey." Kudamon said quietly. "Not mine."

"We don't have _time_ to go off to take a history lesson." Takato growled. "Something bad is coming, _soon_, and we need to know where Baihumon is."

"No, we can't trust that you're not an agent of the Destroyer." Kudamon sighed. "Besides, if time is as short as you say, nothing is going to make a difference now."

"Look." Takato said as he stared the digimon in the eye. "My friends and I _will _stop it. Reed _and_ the Destroyer."

"They can't be stopped." The Kudamon shook his head weakly. "You'll fail."

Takato sighed. "Then I guess I'll die trying." Takato headed towards the door to leave. "Thanks for the help." He added sarcastically.

He pushed through the door, which swung open and hit the wall loudly, and stormed out, Cronus quickly catching up to him and matching his pace.

"Takato?"

Takato was furious with the Kudamon, and the entire village for that matter. He understood their belief and conviction in protecting their village, but Takato was their only chance of _keeping_ the place safe, and they wouldn't give him the information he wanted. It just didn't make sense. Not that Takato was looking for fame or anything, but he and his friends _had_ saved the digital world from the D-Reaper. He _thought_ that that would at least have earned him an audience with the Sovereign when it was absolutely necessary, but apparently not.

"What did he say?" Cronus asked.

"That I'm alone in this." Takato muttered.

"I'll be there for you." Cronus told him. "Always."

Takato turned to him, confused. A moment passed. "Cronus?"

Cronus dropped his gaze to the ground. "So what if Kudamon won't tell us anything… We'll figure it out, together. You're not alone on this. Okay?"

Takato smiled. "Okay."

In the instant he took another step, he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him. He turned, to see the Kudamon in the doorway.

Takato withheld the urge to frown at him. "Yes?"

The Kudamon looked at him for several seconds, before turning to Cronus, and giving him the same treatment. "Baihumon's shrine is just a very short walk west of here. Enter it and say a prayer, and he'll appear if you are worthy."

With that, the Kudamon turned back and reentered his home, closing the door firmly as he moved.

* * *

The walk was even shorter than Takato expected—just out of eyesight of the Kudamon's village. He saw the shrine, just as Takato described. It was too short for him to enter without crouching, but it only the size of a garage, so he wouldn't mind squeezing in then out.

"I'll try to call him." Cronus suggested, heading in slowly, turning to Takato first for some sign of approval.

"Yeah." Takato nodded. "Okay."

It only made sense to let Cronus say the prayer to call him—he'd have a much better idea of what to say than Takato would, and Takato couldn't afford any slip-ups. He was glad to have Cronus around. But he couldn't stop thinking about what Cronus had told him earlier—being back in the digital world after being turned completely human was doing something to him, and Takato wanted to know what, and more importantly, why.

What if something worse happened to him than feeling sick? Takato needed to know what was happening to Cronus, but he didn't know where to get answers without going to Yamaki, and that was a very slim option since Yamaki had no idea that Cronus was really Guilmon.

Cronus stepped out a moment after he entered, and approached Takato. Takato looked around, worried.

"Did something go wrong?" he asked.

"I don't think so…" Cronus too, looked around intently. "I did everything right."

"Well why isn't he—" Takato stopped. The Destroyer already got to him. "We need to find the others." He finished.

Cronus didn't make eye contact, but continued to stare at a point on the ground.

Takato looked at it, then back to Cronus, who continued to stare. "What's wrong?"

The ground shook, and Cronus tackled Takato out of the way instants before the ground they stood on was overturned.

Dirt was poured over them as something huge emerged from the ground—Takato was terrified, until he realized that that was what they were hoping for. He and Cronus stood up and dusted themselves off, staring at the powerful creature—the Sovereign.

"Baihumon…" Takato murmured, stepping forward. The giant beast looked down at him, and sniffed.

"Is that you, Takato?" he asked.

Takato nodded. "Yes."

"You've grown up some."

Takato smiled. "It's been a few years."

"Why've you woken me up?"

Takato glanced back to Cronus, then up to the Sovereign in front of him. "You're in danger."

"What?" Baihumon laughed. "From what?"

"Something called the Destroyer is hunting you down."

Baihumon stopped laughing, and suddenly Takato felt flush with worry. Takato himself clearly couldn't protect the Sovereign, but he still held onto the hope that his warning would yield some sort of victory.

"Destroyer…?" Baihumon repeated quietly.

"Yes. He has already defeated Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon." Takato said it quickly, as if pulling off a band-aid quickly. An apocalyptic band-aid.

"What!" he roared.

Cronus stepped forward, speaking. "There's a human named Reed who we believe is working with him…he's been seen using powers that can only be described as those matching the defeated Sovereign."

"Who is he?" Baihumon growled. Takato actually took a step back, as Baihumon leaned in, teeth grit. Takato knew that he wasn't being threatened, Baihumon was just trying to get closer to make sure he heard. The intimidation came from the remaining fact that Baihumon was huge and scary.

"We don't know. We think he has something to do with destroying the barriers that separate both worlds."

Baihumon murmured thoughtfully. "Yes, it would seem that that is their eventual goal."

"Eventual…?" Cronus whispered, confused.

"What can you tell us about the Destroyer?" Takato asked, loud and clear. "Does it have any weaknesses? How powerful is it? How can we beat it?"

"The Destroyer…" Baihumon repeated. "It's—"

"I'm sorry, Hero, but that information is classified." A human appeared from what seemed like nowhere. A year or two older than Takato, an inch or two taller. He was dressed in baggy smoke-grey pants, and a black-and-red jacket.

"Reed!" Cronus barked angrily.

_Oh, shit._

"Reed?" Baihumon asked curiously, looking to him, then back to Takato. "_This_ is the human you warn me of?"

"He's dangerous." Cronus answered for Takato, not taking his gaze off of Reed.

Baihumon didn't seem concerned though.

"It's…you?" Baihumon asked quietly—as quietly as a giant such as he could.

Reed nodded, raised his right hand, and fired Zhuqiaomon's attack straight at Baihumon's face. He managed to get halfway out of the way, though the red beam left an enormous scar. Baihumon growled, raised a huge paw, and swung it at Reed, who got on one knee, raised both hands, and fired a wave of spiraling lightning at Baihumon, who was destroyed before his fist landed.

Takato stared on in horror and awe at the sight as Reed absorbed the data.

"Yikes." Reed laughed. "And here I was thinking that Azulongmon was the strongest one…Baihumon put up _way_ more of a fight. Too bad his attacks are boring, I'm a big fan of the fire thing that Big Bird was always going on about..."

Takato was mortified. What he had just witnessed wasn't a fight, it was a slaughter—Reed hadn't even been trying.

Cronus charged at Reed, and before Takato could protest, Reed laughed, and fired Zhuqiaomon's flame from his right hand, and Azulongmon's lightning with his left—Cronus went soaring to the ground in front of Takato, unconscious, and Takato moved himself between the two.

_Damn it._

"Woah." Reed exclaimed. "That was a good one."

Takato silently scanned through his options. He couldn't win in a fight, he couldn't call for help, he couldn't run, now with Cronus still laying there—

"Well, anyways, thanks again for finding this Sovereign for me, this one's been a real pain in the ass to track down."

Takato's face went red with frustration and anger, but he just couldn't come up with anything to say back to him. Reed was right; Takato had messed up. He should have been more careful, he should have been better armed for a fight. He should have listened to Jeri and Ryo and everyone else that splitting up was a bad idea. If they were _all_ there maybe they'd have had a chance. If only Takato hadn't been so headstrong, if only he—

"Oh—" Reed suddenly said, turning to Takato. "And I'll be taking that burden you've got behind you, while I'm here."

_What? Burden…?_

Takato didn't need to look to know that Reed was talking about Cronus. Takato instinctively held an arm out sideways defensively as Reed approached.

"Get out of my way, Hero." Reed ordered. "I'm not someone you want to piss off."

"Restore the Sovereign." Takato challenged. "Stop what you're doing. I don't know _why_ you're doing it, and I really don't care. But there's about six billion people who are going to die if you destroy the last Sovereign, and you'll be one of them."

"Well, now that's not true, now is it?" Reed asked indignantly. "Of _course_ you care _why_ I'm doing this. That's what you _do_, isn't it? Butt into people's own agendas, force your way into things that don't concern you?"

"What?"

Reed ignored him, and repeated his order. "This is the second time I'm telling you to get out of my way. There won't be a third."

"No."

Takato was standing directly between Reed and Cronus, his left arm still stretched sideways as if to protect Cronus, and though Takato was scared as hell, he never wavered.

Reed sighed. "Fine."

In an instant, Takato was being pushed back through the air. A few feet off the ground, yet far enough back that he went over Cronus and behind him. The force itself was nearly painless, but the angle Takato landed on his right arm caused his shoulder to come out of alignment as he came down on it. He grit his teeth as the agony surged through the rest of his body. He looked down to it. It didn't appear to be twisted in any way, but he could see a lump on his shoulder that he knew shouldn't have been there. He lost all control in it, though he possibly was just overcome by the pain.

Reed was advancing on him now, slowly, pace by pace. "Little Takato Matsuda. A joke to all the other kids—under the radar, am I right? Always staring out of the window in class, head in the clouds, right? Where it should have _stayed_. And for whatever reason, _you_ get a digivice. And your own partner. And the little boy becomes the big hero…

"What, you think you know anything _about_ me?" Takato challenged angrily. But Reed just waved a finger, and Takato was sent forcefully to the ground. He fortunately didn't land on his sore arm again, but it still hurt nonetheless.

"_Please_." Reed sneered. "I _was_ you. Only I was never stupid enough to pick battles I had _no hope_ of winning. But yeah, Takato, I _do_ know you. I know everything about you. Better than your friends, probably. In fact, I know everything about _them_, too. I know that you're worried your team will realize you're as powerless as you are. You're worried that your little girlfriend will see how you'll let her down, sooner or later. I know your buddy Ryo is torn between the devotion to his best friend, and to the girl he loves. I know that Rika would die for Ryo, but won't let herself love him back. I know Kazu feels he can't trust any of you enough to share any info his crappy family life. I know that the freak that's laying in front of you wants to remove himself from your life because he's scared you'll hate him for having to babysit him so damn much. And Jeri…" Reed grinned. "Maybe after I'm done with you I'll go find her and get to know her a little better…"

By the end, Takato's blood was boiling, and by Reed's last comment, he was on his feet and charging at him. He managed to get in one solid punch to the side of Reed's face. It wasn't with all his strength, as Takato had to use his left hand, but it was enough to cause Reed to grunt in pain and surprise. After which, Reed quickly stepped back, and dropped his elbow down hard on Takato's back, sending him back down to the ground, face first.

How could Reed have known those things? Did Takato even know them? Kazu…Rika…Jeri…no. It wasn't real, none of it. Takato didn't believe it. What Reed had said about Takato himself—it wasn't true. Reed was just playing mind games. He might know things about him, about his friends—but he didn't know _them_.

"Whatever you think you know…" Takato said, finding his voice, pulling his face off of the dirt. He spit on the ground, and, to no surprise, there was blood in it. "It doesn't matter—you're in over your head. You think you'll survive the Destroyer? It's gonna make you its bitch right along with everyone else."

Reed scowled, and swung his fist in a punching motion, and even though he was nowhere near close enough for the punch itself to land, a red flame—Zhuqiaomon's flame—shot out at him. Takato rolled to the side, the ground where he lay an instant before singed a solid black.

"You think what you're doing has any meaning?" Reed asked him with a scoff as Takato struggled to get to his feet.

"Whatever it takes to stop you." Takato replied as calmly as he could, concentrating on the pain of his fingernails digging into his palm rather than his arm.

Reed grinned. "Is that what you think, Hero?"

Takato looked at him square in the eye as he climbed to his feet. He realized that he must not have believed what Rika and Ryo and Cronus had said about Reed being insane—he was psychotic. Takato had seen evil things before…Juggernaut…the D-Reaper…Valn…but Reed was something else entirely.

"Who are you? _What_ are you?"

Reed laughed, and Takato saw something move—saw Cronus move, as he struggled to get to his feet.

"Huh!" Reed blurted, amazed. "Isn't this something…"

"Cronus, don't!" Takato tried to warn, the words barely audible over his coughing.

_He's got the power of three of the Sovereign. The only thing that could beat _them_ was the D-Reaper_.

"Shh." Reed snorted, lifting Takato into the air with a gesture, pulling him forward, and tossing him hard into the side of Baihumon's shrine. "I want to see where this is going."

Takato was certain his arm was broken by the impact of when he hit the wall. A second later, he hit the ground, and he could feel his nose bleeding. Every muscle in his body felt like it was on fire, yet he still found the strength to look up to see Reed standing above him.

"Why did you get up?" Reed asked him.

Cronus didn't answer at first, and a beat passed. "You need to be stopped."

"Maybe," Reed said contemplatively. "But we both know you don't have the kind of power to stop me, or the Destroyer, for that matter."

Another beat, but this time Cronus didn't reply, so Reed went on.

"But you _could_ have the power. You know that, right?"

"W—" Cronus stammered. "What?"

_Reed knows about that? Of course he does. He knows about everything about all of us_.

"Your powers…" Reed told him. "Are virtually limitless." Reed then turned to Takato, and so did Cronus. "But he's holding you back."

_I'm—what?_

"I am what I am because of him." Cronus retorted uneasily.

"Weak." Reed replied disgusted. "Depressed. Useless. Overshadowed. You're alone because of him."

"No." Cronus said quietly. "He created me."

"Of course." Reed said sympathetically. "He brought you into this terrible world. Against your will. And then you go off and wind up human, and feel all these emotions you didn't even know existed. The emotions that weaken you. _He_ weakens you. Only thinking of you as a sidekick—a lacky that he has to take care of all the time, just so he can feel good about himself. You could _rule_ this world. You don't need him—he can't give you any answers about what you are—he can't give you power, only take it away from you. You already know that the emotions _he_ put in you weaken you. And I'm sure you know they _will_ kill you. He can't protect you from that. But I can."

_Cronus will…die?_

"Come with me, Guilmon." Reed ordered loudly. "And I will show you who you are. All the answers you're looking for will be yours."

"Cronus—please…help me." Takato coughed. But Cronus wasn't looking at him.

"Kill him." Reed ordered flatly.

Takato met Cronus's gaze, and Takato's stomach sank farther—Cronus's expression was just—empty. No sign in it that anybody even lived in his body. It was just—

—_emotionless_.

Which in Cronus's case, meant powerful. But when he blinked, something flickered on his face that Takato noticed, and he turned back to Reed.

"No…" it was quiet, and it was unsure, but it was defiant.

"He's what's destroying you." Reed explained, stepping forward. "Your connection to humanity. To weakness. Sever it. Destroy him."

Cronus didn't move, at all, and a terrifying silence swept over the scene. Takato was still on the ground, broken and bruised.

"Then I'll do it." Reed volunteered, stepping forward, his hand crackling with Azulongmon's blue lightning.

He held his hand out, as Cronus stared on blankly. But as Takato awaited his demise, he stared at his friend, and and he once again saw another flicker of expression on his face…but this time, Reed saw something too, and his head turned away from Takato, to something on his right—something that Takato didn't see.

"You…" he whispered, his hand dropping to his side, speaking to someone or something that just wasn't there. "Carter, how are you here…?"

_Carter?_

There was simply nobody there. But while Takato didn't have the power to question it, Cronus apparently did, and he swung his elbow hard into the back of Reed's head, knocking him down and unconscious.

"Cronus…?" Takato whispered weakly.

"Takato, I'm so sorry," Cronus said quickly as he rushed over. "I thought I could shut myself off so that I could get the power to fight him but then I couldn't find any _will_ to fight and I saw what he was doing to you and I couldn't move and I—" Cronus was nearly weeping as he continued to apologize.

Takato nodded, not really listening as he concentrated on tolerating the pain throughout his body. He coughed as he rolled onto his side, his left arm

"Oh, God…" Cronus said, and though Takato couldn't see his face, he could tell that Cronus was noticing his arm. "Your shoulder's dislocated."

"Yeah." Takato said somewhat sarcastically, followed by a grunt. "I noticed that one."

Cronus didn't reply, but grabbed Takato's hand on his sore arm. Takato winced as he turned to see Cronus, who put a foot on Takato's chest, holding him down. Takato was getting the idea, and he was scared as hell. Cronus was going to reset his shoulder by pulling his arm—sure it had to be done, but Takato would rather it be done in the real world where the doctors could drug him unconscious.

"Cronus, wait, we don't even know if it's—"

"I'm so sorry." Cronus whispered through grit teeth, wincing as he stared at the arm. Takato screamed as Cronus pulled, hard.

* * *

Alright, that's the last we're gonna see of Takato for a while…the next three are Rika, Ryo, or both. At least I finally got around to explaining the "The weapon must not love" thing in the story description. Anyways, review, please!

-N


	10. Tracked Down

Yeah, so it's been forever, and I'm sorry for that. Actually, I want to apologize for this chapter taking so, so long to get up. BUT, I think it's one of the better chapters I've done, that would only have been better if I could have put some Ryuki in there. Maybe next time?

Anyways, to try to make it up for you, read on after this chapter for some sneaks at what's to come. Please review, but try not to post anything spoiler-y in them incase anyone wants to avoid them. Thanks!

Hope everyone had a happy holiday!

-N

**Previously:**

Ryo hugged his little brother before a smile and a wave, and he hurried to catch up.

Rika approached the portal, but stopped, and turned to Will.

"Don't worry." She told him. "I'll look after him for you." She gave him her most reassuring smile, and entered the portal, hoping he believed her—but more so hoping she'll be able to keep the promise.

/ / /

The Betamon made some sort of gurgling noise. "Raiders came through here."

"What were they? Gaogamon?"

"No, the Gaogamon are on our side. They did what they could to fight them off, and most of them died because of it."

/ / /

Ryo felt his heart stop as he ran to Rika, and didn't feel his heart start beating again until he felt her pulse.

"She's alive." He called to them. "Henry?"

"Alive, but he's out." Takato called back.

"R-Ryo?" the girl in his arms whispered weakly.

"Rika?" he replied in disbelief. "Rika!"

The disbelief turned to panic, however, when she suddenly grabbed his head with all her might, and stared at him, and he saw the terror on her face.

"It's coming, Ryo." She whispered. "It's coming."

"Rika!" he called to her, shaking her gently.

/ / /

"I am what I am because of him." Cronus retorted uneasily.

"Weak." Reed replied disgusted. "Depressed. Useless. Overshadowed. You're alone because of him."

/ / /

He held his hand out, as Cronus stared on blankly. But as Takato awaited his demise, he stared at his friend, and and he once again saw another flicker of expression on his face…but this time, Reed saw something too, and his head turned away from Takato, to something on his right—something that Takato didn't see.

"You…" Reed whispered, his hand dropping to his side, speaking to someone or something that just wasn't there. "Carter, how are you here…?"

There was simply nobody there. But while Takato didn't have the power to question it, Cronus apparently did, and he swung his elbow hard into the back of Reed's head, knocking him down and unconscious.

/ / /

"You saved me." Rika said plainly. "I owe you one."

Ryo looked her quizzically. "We're not keeping _score_, Rika—"

"Yeah, well, still." She smiled, but went on. "Whenever _you_ need help, I promise I'll be there, okay?"

Ryo smiled heartily. "Deal."

* * *

**Tracked Down:**

The song started to skip, then stopped altogether. Rika winced a little, and carefully pulled out her mp3 player. She knew the battery was dead, but she looked anyways.

_Dead._

"Damn it." She muttered.

"Something wrong?" Renamon asked. The trip had been nearly entirely quiet until then. To anybody watching, anyways. Rika herself had been quite content listening to her music, but it looked like that wasn't an option anymore. She grimaced. It had been right in the middle of one of her favorite songs, too. Then again, it would be expected that that's where it would be when the battery died—Rika was one of those people who could listen to the same song over and over again.

"Nah, my battery on this thing just died." Rika explained. She hadn't been using it at all since they arrived in the digital world, she'd even had it turned off until that morning, when she remembered she'd brought it with her. But even though she'd charged it fully before embarking on their little mission, the power had continued to drain from it, and it had only been at one-quarter left when she actually started using it. It probably didn't help that she kept manually switching the songs, but it was a habit of hers she just couldn't break.

Not stopping, she swung off her backpack and put the player in it. There wasn't a whole lot _in_ the bag, but she was getting sick of carrying it—perhaps sick wasn't the best way she'd describe it—_bored_, maybe? Inside it she had two data spikes, a change of jeans, two shirts, some binoculars, a large kitchen knife she'd snagged from home, and—of course, the charger cable _for_ her mp3 player—not that she was able to use it. She hadn't actually made a conscious decision to bring it, but it was in one of the side pouches that she forgot to unload before packing on the trip.

Her actual packing process had taken all of three minutes, thirty seconds of which involved her grabbing a knife from the kitchen that she hoped her grandmother wouldn't be planning on using for a while. There had still been some of her physics homework in her backpack, too, which she'd happily donated to a garbage bucket in Sarian.

Rika and Renamon had been making good pace in the three days since everyone had split up. Their stops had been kept to a minimum, and they both walked quickly anyways. Well, she assumed that that was a good pace. Her legs were sort of tired, but she realized that was to be expected. Walking for eighteen hours a day would do that to someone. It was a workout, at least.

_Hell, it still beats going to the gym._

The pair hadn't had any success in getting any information on the Sovereign. They'd past a sort of village who knew nothing, and a sort of caravan, who knew plenty, just nothing about the Sovereign, the Destroyer, or Reed.

"Renamon, want to call it a night?" asked after two more hours of walking. She was actually getting tired.

"Very well, Rika." Renamon accepted. "If we leave early tomorrow morning we'll be in the city by the afternoon."

They set up their camp—which basically consisted of Rika taking off her sweater and using it as a pillow.

Everything had been so strange—much more so than the level of strange she was used to. There was that tree city, Sarian, that got attacked for no reason, then there was—_something_ that made her and Henry get sick until Ryo and Cronus saved them…then the Sovereign, and Reed, and that little boy that led her to Giz, then disappeared without a trace.

Rika knew that there was something bigger going on, maybe even bigger than the Destroyer and the Sovereign. She just didn't have enough information to put everything together. Not yet. But what she did know was that they were all a part of it. Reed. Her friends. The little boy. Cronus. The Sovereign. Everything was happening so that something else would happen. Which bothered Rika, because she didn't believe in destiny. Her actions were her own.

"Rika?" Renamon's voice caused her to open her eyes. Rika didn't sit up, but opened her eyes, staring at the sky, as she'd once done with Ryo.

"Yeah?"

"May I ask you something?" Renamon sounded—worried, which of course, made Rika nervous too.

"'Course." Rika declared, still staring at the sky. She closed her eyes as a breeze went by, then reopened them as it passed.

"What is your opinion of Cronus?" the fox asked her.

"Cute, and pretty sweet, but definitely not happening." She blinked, remembering that she wasn't talking to Jeri. "That—not what you meant, is it?"

"No." Renamon verified. "I mean, what is your opinion of him?"

She shrugged.

"He's Guilmon." Rika said casually. "Why?"

"There's something about him that isn't right, but I can't quite figure out what it is." Renamon explained.

"What do you mean?" Rika asked, sitting up.

There was a pause, during which Rika waited for Renamon to find the words she was searching for.

"The way he moves—and the way he behaves." Renamon started. "Something about it—something about _him_. It isn't right."

"I know he can come off as a little—strange sometimes," Rika said thoughtfully. "But he hasn't been human all that long. He's just trying to figure things out for himself, and he has all these questions that he can't explain."

Rika recalled his questioning her about love. She knew that digital life felt emotions, but she realized it must not be the same thing—because Cronus didn't understand what was happening to him. In a way, she pitied him.

"Mark me." Renamon finally said. "He can't be trust—"

Renamon froze mid-word, and it took Rika several seconds before she realized that Renamon _literally_ froze. Her mouth was still open, and her gaze was still locked.

Rika raised an eyebrow worriedly, and looked around. The grass around them was bent as if in the wind, though not moving. Nothing was moving. It was eerily beautiful, but Rika was leaning more towards the eerie. Especially when Renamon began to glow.

"Renamon…?" she whispered, nervous.

_No, she's not glowing._

She wasn't. Rika knew, because Rika suddenly saw her own shadow next to Renamon. There was something glowing _behind_ Rika, not in front of her. She spun around, and saw a sad-looking little boy. A little Cronus.

"You…" Rika whispered, unsure—uneasy.

_That boy…I saw him in my dream…?_

"Rika…" the boy spoke softly. Rika was taken aback—his voice didn't seem to come _from_ him, it—it _surrounded_ her. It was clear, though it almost had a sort of echo to it. She was a little freaked out—she'd admit it if she had to—but she wasn't ready to take her eyes off of him. Back when she'd seen him before, the instant she looked away, he'd vanished, and Jeri and Renamon didn't believe he was ever there. "You must hurry."

_Hurry?_

"Who are you?"

He looked down to the ground, sadly, and then turned his face away from her, as if in shame. Rika sighed in frustration as she realized that she wasn't going to get an answer.

"You must hurry." He repeated.

"Hurry _where_?" Rika spoke slowly and coldly.

"To the capital." He answered. "The capital of the digital world—to Hyperion."

Rika hated being led around like he was doing. It had happened to her in the past far too many times—by Icedevimon, by Adam—she had to get some answers or she wasn't going to play his game.

"You showed me where Giz was hurt." Rika said tactfully. "Why?"

He looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds, and Rika was ready to just walk away when he answered her. "It was important that you found him."

"Important?" Rika repeated quietly as she tried to figure it out. After Takato, Ryo, and Cronus had nursed him back to health, he'd been the one to tell them about—"you're talking about what he knew about the Sovereign?"

"Yes." The small Cronus stated. "Even right now…both worlds are being led down a path to destruction by someone who does not understand what he is doing."

"You mean the Destroyer?"

The boy lowered his gaze. "You know him as Reed."

Rika's eyes widened. "_Reed_ is the Destroyer?"

"No." the boy spoke louder, and Rika realized soon tat he was being defensive. "He thinks he can _control_ the Destroyer—control what the Destroyer is trying to do, but he—" he trailed off.

_Control…the Destroyer…?_

Rika didn't believe it, not yet. Reed had tried to trade her, Ryo, and Cronus to some—thing. Rika shifted uncomfortably as she recalled the event.

* * *

"Here they are." Reed had said calmly. "Now, tell me where."

The creature had just laughed at Reed, and even though Rika had been suspended, helpless—she could see the anger in Reed's face as he was faced with his own betrayal.

"Tell me!" Reed screamed as he advanced on the creature. Rika noticed his hand begin to glow red…

"Do you really think he'd be safer?" the creature snickered. "With you?"

* * *

"Why would Reed try to control the Destroyer?"

The boy met her gaze again. "Because he believes it's the only way to stop it."

An invisible hand tightened its grip on her stomach. "Wait a second—are you saying Reed's on our side?"

"He holds the secrets of this world, but in guarding them, has been betrayed by his friends, his family…been betrayed by his heart—and has betrayed others in turn." The boy's gaze once again hit the floor hard. "He is angry at this world—for what it did to his partner, for what it did to him. And to me."

_Partner. So Reed had been a Tamer before he went super-villain._

Rika was starting to figure things out. Reed hadn't been trying to get to the Sovereign when he turned on Rika and her friends—he was trying to get to _him._ That boy. _He_ was who Reed tried to trade her, Cronus, and Ryo for…

"Who are you…?" Rika finally repeated. "Why are you telling me all this _now_? And why do you look like Cronus?" But the boy looked to her quickly, powerfully, and took a step forward, a look of urgency on his face.

"Please hurry, there is not much time left. There is another crisis in the capital that requires your urgent attention."

Rika sighed again as she tried to let it sink in—why should she believe him? He was there when she saved Giz, sure, but she had no reason to let him order her around. He wasn't giving her anything—no reason to trust him.

The boy turned, and took a step away from her, as the light around him started to fade—he looked at her.

"My name is Carter."

With that, he, too, faded.

"—trusted." Renamon 'finished'.

_What the _hell...?

"Renamon?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes?"

"You—didn't hear any of that, did you?"

"Any of what, Rika?"

Rika bit her lip, then closed her eyes. She knew she wouldn't sleep, but she had some things to think about.

"Nevermind, let's just get some sleep." Rika finished. "We can talk about Cronus tomorrow, okay?"

They didn't, as neither of them brought it up. Rika only managed to get a few hours of sleep in, but she felt pretty refreshed when the morning came. A few hours of walking later, and Rika saw giant grey walls in the horizon.

"Renamon, what is that?"

Rika stared at what lay in front of her. She could barely conceive it…giant stone walls, a dark tower in the middle of it climbing towards the sky…it looked like a fortress.

"That's the capital. Hyperion."

"The capital?"

"It's the biggest city in the digital world, and in turn, the place with the most inhabitants. It has been years since I've been here, but the population was nearing forty thousand then, and I imagine it has grown in that time."

"You've been here before?"

"Yes." Renamon nodded. "Most digimon have."

"So there's a whole city behind those walls?"

Renamon nodded, and Rika turned back to it, quickening her pace towards it. If there were really that many digimon there that lived together peacefully, then it would _have_ to have some that knew something about the Sovereign.

As they continued to head towards the capital of Hyperion, Renamon continued to give Rika more details of the city itself. In addition to being the largest settlement, it was also one of, if not the oldest of them, as well. That big tower that Rika could see was some kind of castle-church. The city _used_ to be governed by the Devas, who reported anything important to the Sovereign. But after the Sovereign sent the Devas after Calumon so they could fight the D-Reaper, and the Devas were all defeated or deleted, then the city—quite democratically—quickly elected five digimon to ensure the city functioned smoothly and safely: they were titled the Circle of Telesto.

In addition to five leaders, the city also had five towers; one in each of the four corners, and another in the center. Clockwise from the front-left, were Methone, Helene, Janus, and Tethys, while the tower in the center was called Atlas. It was in Atlas that the Circle convened to govern the city.

One of the leaders, however—a Gaogamon—led a team to protect Sarian from its attacks two weeks prior. He never came back. The Circle of Telesto didn't replace him, though, and even with an even-number of members in it, any decision they made had always been unanimous, so they were able to leave his seat empty out of respect for what he tried to do.

It wasn't long before they approached the open gates. Rika could hear that it was extremely loud in there, like there was some sort of party. The creatures were cheering, and laughing and singing and dancing.

_Yeah, Carter. This place _really_ looks like it's in trouble_.

Rika had never seen so many happy creatures in the digital world, let alone in one place.

Rika pushed through the cheering crowd, carefully and, when she needed to be, forcefully. She asked nearly a dozen different citizens what was going on, but yielded no results. She simply couldn't _see_ up to what they were all looking at, as several very tall digimon were among the crowd, as well.

She spotted a Dorumon, far shorter than Rika herself, who she knew had _no_ chance of seeing the stage.

"Hey." She called hopelessly, realizing it was ridiculous to call over all the noise. She turned to see that Renamon was still behind her, then moved forward and put her hand on the Dorumon's shoulder. "Hey!"

"What do you want?" he snorted, offended, as he jerked his shoulder back.

"What's going on here?" Rika asked loudly, trying unsuccessfully to drown out the sound of the crowd with her own voice.

"You don't know?" the small digimon turned to her fully, it's voice clearly ringing with excitement. "The Destroyer is here!"

Rika's stomach tightened. The city was excited for the Destroyer? She had to get out of there—fast. There were _way_ to many digimon here to fight their way out—she and Renamon needed to run. _Fast_.

At least, that was what Rika thought until she heard what the creature said gleefully next . "They're going to execute him in just a few minutes! Looks like you got here just in time!"

_Execute him…?_

"Wait—_what_ did you just say?" Rika demanded.

"What do you _think_ I said?" The Dorumon snorted excitedly. "The Circle captured the Destroyer!"

_The Circle?_

From what Rika understood Renamon had said; the members of the Circle of Telesto—the rulers of the capital—were indeed powerful, but their power wasn't remarkable—it was their wisdom that earned them their positions. If the Destroyer had the power to take out the Sovereign—and Rika believed it did—then the rulers of Hyperion alone simply didn't have the capacity to fight something that big and bad.

Rika turned to the tall golden fox who stood behind her silently, even though Rika knew Renamon was just as worries as Rika herself was.

"Renamon?" Rika said quietly, but loud enough for her to hear. "Something's not right here. Either the Destroyer's not so tough, or they've got the wrong digimon."

"Let's see if we can get closer."

Rika pushed quickly, turning as she sidestepped through the crowd despite the complaints and creatures yelling at her as she moved them out of her way. She knew it was rude, but what she was doing was important. The pace was slower than she'd have liked, but she _was_ getting closer to the center—to the 'Destroyer'.

"Let me _go_!"

_That voice…that's…?_

Rika hurried her pace, pushing through the crowd angrily, frustrated, and worried.

_Please don't let this be happening…_

Rika actually felt her lips move as if she was speaking her silent prayer, though no sound passed out. She could tell that Renamon was behind her, though a glance behind her told her that a gap in the crowd that Rika herself had slipped through had since closed in, and Renamon would have to push through to catch up.

But Rika didn't have time to go back for Renamon—Renamon could handle herself. Rika had a different worry.

She looked to the stage, and caught a glimpse of a small blonde male on it, surrounded by digimon.

_Carter?_

No, it wasn't Carter, this person was taller than Carter, but shorter than Cronus. She lost sight of him though as the crowd shifted in front of her, and she very nearly lost her sense of direction, but she pushed forward, slipping between as many people as she could, as quickly as she could, until she got a better view, when her jaw dropped.

_Oh my God…_

She was still far away from the stage, but she was finally close enough that she could see the stage. Close enough to see the 'Destroyer', bound, and bruised. Close enough to see Will.

He looked even smaller next to the enormous creatures that loomed over him, shouted at him, pushed him, and taunted him. Rika flashed back to a description Ryo had given her of Will's first night in Shinjuku—when Rika's boyfriend at the time, Adam, along with a group of his friends, had done the same thing to Will: surrounded him, and beaten him. He was only a few years younger than Rika herself, but he was defenseless then, and he was defenseless now. Rika pushed harder, grabbing the knife from her backpack as she moved.

A Golemon was towering over him, and by the time Rika made it to the stage it started to raise it's gigantic rock fist into the air, charging up for an attack—no, to pause the crowd in anticipation. It was making a show out of it. It would either crush Will, or burn him alive.

_It's stone. No good._

It suddenly lowered its fist slowly, before inhaling deeply.

_Gonna be the fire._

"Please!" Will called to it. "Stop this—I didn't do anything!"

"You won't get to." Golemon replied, getting a cheer from just about everyone in the crowd except Rika.

The knife wouldn't help her, but it didn't matter, because she was close enough to Will that she was thankful the Golemon was showboating. She stepped on a short digimon, boosting herself onto the stage, and threw herself into Will's side, knocking him out of the way.

"Sulphure Plume!" it called. It missed.

Rika had gotten him out of the way, but her plan didn't have an ending. She was surrounded by an angry-looking mob.

"Get her!" the digimon called, indicating Rika fiercely. "She's trying to help the Destroyer!"

Renamon leapt to Rika's side.

"Renamon!" Rika called. "_Run!_"

She grabbed Will's arm and took a step back, trying to turn, but she was surrounded on all sides.

The Golemon swung a fiery fist sideways, and Rika's stomach sank.

"Get _down_!" Rika threw herself to the ground as the attack went inches over her hair, the heat of it warming the top of her head.

She stared at the enormous crowd ahead of them, staring at her, bloodlust in their eyes. "Uh, Renamon?" she asked. "What do we do now?"

Pulling him to his feet, Rika moved Will behind her, but she doubted the good it would do—this crowd would be able to tear through her in two seconds flat.

"This is a misunderstanding…" Renamon tried. "Please allow me an audience with the Circle so that this might be explained without needless violence."

Rika shot a glance back to Renamon, who was staring them down. Fortunately, they weren't advancing, so Rika began to hope that they might actually get out of there alive.

"Alright." The Golemon agreed. "_You_ can speak to the Circle." He then indicated Rika and Will. "But _they_ stay in custody."

"I can't allow that." Renamon grunted.

"You have no choice."

_Damn it._

Rika knew it was right…there was no way they could fight their way out, and the crowd had literally surrounded them, so there was no hope of running. She looked around for options, but came up with none…the only way she pictured escaping was if someone came to rescue them, but the team had split up and gone in different directions, of course.

_Thanks a _lot_, Takato._

She knew it wasn't really his fault, but she felt slightly better having someone to blame.

* * *

Rika grit her teeth as she was thrown into the cell.

It was dark, but she could tell that Will was there, trying to stand up.

"Will, are you alright?" Rika asked, rushing over.

"Yeah, I think so. What now?"

"Well, now you tell me how the hell you got here." She replied abruptly. Rika looked at him for a moment as she waited for his answer.

"Ryo was supposed to visit a few days ago." Will answered. "But he never came, so I got worried that something happened. So I went to talk to Yamaki, but he wouldn't tell me anything."

"And?" Rika asked impatiently. "He sent you in here to find Ryo?"

"I tried using the place in the park that you guys used, but it didn't work." Will almost protested. "It just kept pushing me back when I got close to it. Then I remembered that Ryo said it had to be stabilized from the terminals at Hypnos, so I broke into their server and set it up remotely."

Rika raised an eyebrow. "You broke through Hypnos's security?" She actually laughed. Ryo had told her that Will was bright, but—_damn_. Even Henry wasn't able to play around with Hypnos's capabilities without getting caught.

"I—I needed to know that everyone was okay." He murmured guiltily. "I wasn't planning on staying very long…but then these people started saying I was trying to destroy the world, then they tied me up and then you came."

Something wasn't making sense to Rika—either Will wasn't telling her something, or there was a huge piece of the story missing that needed to be found.

"Why did they think you were the Destroyer?" she asked him.

"I—I don't know, they just—_grabbed_ me."

"You didn't do _anything_ that made them suspicious?" she asked doubtfully.

"No, I swear!" he protested. "I was just trying to find Ryo…" he paused, looking at her, even more worried. "Have you heard from him? About him?"

Rika bit her lip, her suspicion dropping. She believed that Will didn't know any more than what he said…not that she didn't think he was hiding something to begin with, just that there might have been something he hadn't thought of—it wasn't like he'd been in the digital world before. She could see easily that, plain and simple, he was just worried about Ryo. She could tell, because she felt the same way herself.

"We had to cover more ground, so everyone split up."

"He's by himself?" Will looked confused.

"Cyberdramon, his partner, is with him." Rika answered clearly, looking around, remembering that she should be trying to escape right now.

"Who is your partner? That fox one?" Will asked, appearing to do the same.

"Yeah." Rika nodded. "Her name's Renamon."

Rika bit her lip again as she stopped herself from worrying about her. Renamon had been held back when Rika and Will were being taken away. She actually wasn't that worried about Renamon—she was quick-thinking enough to get away from them, be it sneaking, talking, or fighting.

Renamon'd be okay. Rika had to make sure that herself and Will would be alright, too. After all, she owed Ryo one.

_Not that we're keeping score_.

"Hmm." Rika mumbled. Was _this_ the crisis that Carter had told her about time running out on? If he hadn't told her—if she hadn't started moving _then_—if she was just a _minute_ late, Will would've…

"What's up?"

"Just wondering about something someone told me earlier."

"Which was?"

Rika mentally shrugged, figuring there was no harm in telling him. "Really early this morning, I was told that I had to hurry here. So I did, and it looks like you'd have been in trouble if I was much later."

"Yeah." Will nodded, before adding awkwardly. "Thanks."

"Nothing to worry about." Rika shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood."

"Uh huh." Will said with some disbelief. "So who told you?"

"Told me what?"

"To hurry." Will replied curiously. "Did they know I was in trouble?"

Rika thought a moment. "Maybe." She admitted. "He really wasn't clear."

Realizing she hadn't actually answered his question of 'who', she bit her lower lip. "And I'm not sure who."

She held back a shiver as she remembered what Carter had said about the worlds being led towards a certain destruction, leading her to remember everything else that had happened. The papers they'd found with Reed talked about the Destroyer, but there wasn't anything else useful that anybody was able to translate from them. When Rika and Henry had fallen sick, everyone told her that Rika had said to Ryo that 'something was coming'. Sarian, that village in the trees, had been attacked because the Destroyer was looking for Giz, because Giz knew about the Sovereign. Then, for some reason, a place that was supposed to be a peaceful city thought that Will, of all people, was the Destroyer.

"Do you know anything about this place?" Will asked.

"It's a jail cell." Rika answered sarcastically.

"I mean the city." Will clarified. If he was annoyed with her sarcasm, he hid it well.

"It's called Hyperion, and it's the biggest city in the digital world. The leaders call themselves the Circle of Telesto, and there should be five, but one was killed recently."

_A Gaogamon, that had been near Sarian. Didn't Ryo…?_

Had _that_ been the Gaogamon that Ryo had killed? She figured it would be best not to mention it—it wouldn't help with their case of not-being-evil.

"Anyways," Rika went on. "There's a tower in each of the four corners of the city— Methone, Helene, Janus, and Tethys. Then there's one big one in the middle called Atlas, which is where we are right now. The population's—" Rika tried to remember what Renamon had said. "somewhere over forty thousand, and it looks like most of them were out to see you today."

"Huh."

"What?"

"The names…Hyperion, Telesto, Methone…" Will repeated softly.

"Yeah." Rika nodded. She knew that she'd heard them before, too. "Greek mythology."

It had been one of the few topics of history she actually found interesting, and therefore how she was able to remember the names that Renamon had mentioned to her.

"Yeah, but they're all moons of Saturn."

"Oh." Astronomy had never been her favorite subject.

"Isn't that kind of weird?"

"I guess." Rika shrugged. "I doubt it means anything, though—this world was basically created by humans, so it's pretty obvious that there'd be elements of human history in it."

"Oh." Will said, realizing. "Right. Why'd you guys have to split up?"

She sighed, wishing she understood enough of it herself to be able to give him a real explanation. "What did Ryo tell you about why we came here?"

"He said that the worlds were slipping into each other."

"Right." Rika confirmed. "Now the digital world's got four rulers, called the Sovereign. They're these four digimon based off of Chinese astronomy. Anyways, they pretty much keep this world in check, keep it separate from our own. Now, the Destroyer—that guy that everyone seems to think is you—is killing them off."

"…so there'll be nothing protecting this world." Will finished as he figured it out.

"Bingo." Rika pushed one of the bars of the cell gently, hoping hopelessly that it would move.

"Has the Destroyer actually gotten to any of the Sovereign?"

Rika sighed. "We've lost two—maybe three."

"So when the last one's—"

"It won't." she cut him short.

"Hypothetically, then." He pleaded.

"Then yeah, we'd be in trouble." She admitted. She looked around, remembering she was in a damn cell. "More than this, even."

"So where's Ryo and everyone else?" Will asked again.

"We split up to find whatever's left of the Sovereign." She sighed.

"When?"

"This is—" Rika had to pause to think about it. "day four?" she recalled, sounding less sure than she was.

"Do you think they're alright?"

Rika cut the question off by kicking the gate to the cell hard. It didn't do much other than make a lot of noise. A startled Will looked around, and Rika eventually did the same again.

_Two windows and the gate. That's all._

The bars were all thicker than Rika was strong enough to do any damage to, and the windows were too high up for her to see. She took a step back, and stood on her toes to try to get any glimpse, but all she could see was a pair of legs.

"What're you—" Will asked.

"Shh." Rika whispered louder than she should have. Then, quieter, "There's someone out there."

Will hurried to her side, but apparently couldn't see. "Where?"

"Right at that window. See? Legs."

They weren't moving. Probably a guard. They were purple-ish, but it wasn't enough for Rika to know what type of digimon it was.

"I think I recognize it." Will chirped quietly.

Before Rika could question him, Will suddenly walked quickly to the wall the window was on, and put one foot on top of the lock.

_What's he…?_

He pushed himself up so that he was standing on the lock, balancing himself by grabbing the bars of the gate. He leaned to the window, eventually getting a hand on the ledge, then pulling the rest of his body over so that he was hanging from the bars of the window. Rika watched on curiously.

Will carefully reached one arm through the bars towards the creature, and suddenly wrapped his arm around its right leg, pulling it closer, before grabbing the left leg with his other hand.

Rika's eyes widened in shock, but she had no idea what to do—there was nothing she _could_ do. She saw the digimon turn its head around as it fell to the ground, and ready an attack as it's mouth suddenly lit up red.

"Will!" she finally called.

He let go, dropping to the ground, landing on his feet, but still tipping backwards. Rika suddenly understood what the hell Will was doing. The attack came through the window, and hit one of the bars of the cell at the bottom, completely destroying a segment of it. Enough that Rika knew she could fit through.

She saw that the digimon was a Starmon, and it was peering into the window looking downwards for Will, who pressed himself up against the wall. Rika quickly stepped in front of the hole in the bars, hoping it hadn't noticed it yet.

"Uh—" she stammered. "Sorry about that, he's—" she paused, trying to come up with something. "hungry."

_Hungry?_

Wishing she'd come up with something better, she glanced to Will, who silently mouthed the word to her, a confused look on his face.

"Feeding time isn't for two hours." It growled.

"Right, sorry about that, it won't happen again." She said quickly, tempted to move to not look so damn suspicious, but knowing she had to keep her escape route covered. "Bad Destroyer." She said somewhat convincingly, waving a finger. "Bad." She trailed off. Rika sucked at acting, but she was counting on the Starmon not being able to tell when a human was lying. "We'll stay quiet from now on, promise."

"Your execution will be in an hour anyways." With that, it stood up and resumed its post—this time standing _away_ from arm's reach of the window.

_Execution?_

Not taking her eyes off of the window, she hurried to Will, who looked terrified at the mention of 'execution', and helped him to his feet. She pulled him back towards the broken bar, but not before whispering to him. "That was _awesome,_ but it looks like we're on the clock. Let's get out of here."

He was smiling when she indicated that he crawl under first. He was pretty small, and managed to struggle underneath the bar in just a few seconds. Rika was doing well before she twisted the wrong way and the bar scraped against her back. It hurt like hell, and she knew her shirt was ruined, but she just grit her teeth and crawled the rest of the way.

"You okay?" he whispered as he helped her to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She grunted, glad to know it didn't hurt for her to move. "Let's go."

"Okay." He said quietly, looking around, but not moving. "I was pretty out of it when they brought us in, did you get a look of the place?"

"Not really…" she started, quietly, seeing Will's expression sink. "But it's dark, so we can at least take advantage of that. It'll be easier to hide."

They carefully crept out of the room, but were soon faced with an intersection. They could go straight, or turn right.

"Which way?" Will asked.

"I have no idea." She admitted.

She headed right. There was less light. Will followed behind her, treading as lightly as she did—she didn't hear that he was right behind her. The hallway bent left, this time leading to a short staircase that led up a little bit.

_Looks like the right direction_.

The halls were eerily empty, but Rika knew they didn't have much choice but to move. They wandered for at least twenty minutes, encountering absolutely nobody.

"Something's going on." Rika mumbled.

"There were a lot of them outside, since I'm such a public display." Will noted. "Maybe they're all still out there.

Rika smirked grimly, wishing she believed it. But the wish wasn't granted, because when she took one more step she was forced against the wall by a digimon.

It was a Knightmon, and it had a cold metal hand around her neck, lifting her against the wall and pushing. Rika kicked it in the chest hard, but it didn't do anything. She grabbed at its hand furiously, trying to pull it off of her neck, but she just wasn't strong enough.

"Hey!" Will shouted as he stepped into view. To Rika's surprise—but apparently not to Will's—the creature dropped Rika, and took a step back.

"Will…?" Rika coughed as she fell to her knees, her right hand rubbing her sore neck. "Get—get away…"

But the smaller teen advanced on the monster, which took a hesitant step back, not breaking eye contact with Will.

"Get away from her before I go Godzilla on this city and lay waste to everything and everyone."

"W—what?" The Knightmon asked, fear present in its voice. Rika would have laughed if her neck didn't hurt so damn much…Will was playing up their belief that he was the Destroyer.

"You wouldn't." it challenged, clearly uneasily.

Will took a step forward, defiant. "What would the Destroyer do?"

He was definitely a better actor than Rika was.

The moment of silence seemed to last forever.

"What do you want?" it finally asked.

"When you locked me up, you took away a red backpack that I had." Will said, stepping forward. "I want it back, as well as safe passage out of here for myself, Rika, and Remanon."

"Renamon." Rika mumbled, not taking her eyes off of their captor.

"Right. Renamon." He corrected himself, sounding nowhere-near-threatening.

"Rika!" Renamon called an instant after Will mentioned her name. Behind her was a Meteormon, which was a smaller, cuter, but more powerful level of a Golemon; a Grademon, which looked sort of like a person wearing a golden suit of armor and a blue cape; a Cerberumon, a black three-headed dog, and a Wisemon, who looked like a person wearing crimson robes with a yellow-ish hood covering his face.

_The Circle of Telesto. Minus one._

Rika and Will froze, but so did their pursuer.

"Renamon has explained everything." Grademon said, his voice echoing in the hall.

"Are you gonna execute us?" Will asked, worried.

"Of course not." Wisemon answered. "Actually…"

"Can I have my backpack back?" Will asked quickly, nervously.

"Absolutely." Meteormon said with a smile.

"We'd like for you to stay with us for a while longer." Cerberumon continued. "With more comfortable accommodations, of course."

"Why?" Rika asked curiously.

"They want to help us on our mission, Rika." Renamon explained. "They'll help us locate the Sovereign."

Rika grinned.

_Maybe Takato had it right after all._

* * *

The Circle really knew how to apologize. The room they'd set Rika up in was gorgeous. It was in the Atlas tower, which she was told had the nicest, biggest rooms. It turned out that she was actually a sort of celebrity in the city—even Will was getting the royal treatment just because he was 'related' to Ryo. Every single thing in the room was nicer than what she had back at home, and her family was well-off. The bed was _huge_, and more comfortable than she imagined possible, there was a big dresser full of clothes in it which the Circle had specially made for her. There was even a whole table of hair crap that Rika had no idea how to use.

She'd spent the night there, and she was told Will's room was just a few floors below.

She stood in front of the mirror, brushing her previously messy hair when a knock came to the door.

"It's open." Rika called.

"Hey." Will called, stepping into the room.

"Hey, Will." Rika said, turning around.

"Wow." Will exclaimed as he looked around. "Think they offer room service here?"

Rika laughed. "I really wouldn't doubt it. How's your room?"

"Good, but I have a favor to ask."

"Sure." She answered, forcing her way through a knot in her hair. "What's up?"

"You know how they made us clothes?" Will asked, tossing her a piece of clothing. "Can you give them a talk about how genders work? They made me like nine dresses and I really don't wanna wear 'em."

She unfolding the fabric and looked it over. Her eyebrows raised. "Woah. They must think you're pretty slutty." She declared with a laugh. "Is it all stuff like this?"

"Some of it." He confirmed. "They make a good pair of jeans though. How'd they do it so fast?"

Rika shrugged. "Free clothes." She declared as she looked around the table of bottles and creams. "As long as there's no Cinderella crap where it disappears at midnight I don't really think it matters."

She settled on a bottle of hair spray, and picked it up.

"I guess that's true." Will said thoughtfully. "Oh, brought you something."

She turned, putting down the bottle down without using any.

He handed her a small black rectangle. Her mp3 player.

"Renamon said the battery was dead, so I charged it." Will said shyly.

Her eyebrows raised. "You have _outlets_ in your room?"

"No," he admitted. "but I asked that guy with the hood—Wisemon? I asked him how they managed to get by without electricity, and he explained to me how there's this sort of energy that flows through them, so I got him to show me how they can direct the energy in controlled amounts and—there ya go."

Considering the boy was adopted, the boy sure had a hell of a lot in common with Ryo. It made sense since they lived together, she supposed.

She smiled "Thanks Will, that was really nice of you."

"Oh, it was no problem." Will scratched his head with a grin. "I don't know much about the things that live in this world, but the principles behind it are all just science, and that's easy."

"To you, maybe." Rika challenged. "I'd have much better luck in a fight than charging this thing."

"I'm good with numbers and wires and stuff." Will said, contemplative. "But a lot of the people here are really scary."

"Well, you get used to it." Rika replied, picking up the hair spray again.

"I wouldn't have gotten the chance to—" he stammered, uneasy. "I mean, if you hadn't gotten here when you did…"

"We all look out for each other." Rika explained. "Hell, Ryo's saved my ass more times than I can count."

"I guess that makes sense." He replied. "But still…thank you, I'm really grateful."

"My pleasure. Pretty gutsy of you to get that Starmon to attack you—when you got him to break the bars?"

It was the kind of ridiculous stunt that Ryo or Takato would try to pull. The kind that usually had Rika glaring at them, thinking they were being idiots.

"He was one of the ones that found me." Will explained. "I saw that he was really jumpy, so I figured it was worth a shot."

"Well, it worked out well." Rika replied. "So what are you gonna do now?"

"Huh?"

"Are you gonna stick around in the digital world, or head back?"

Will paused for a moment. "You're not gonna tell me to get out?"

Rika shrugged. "I'm not your m—" she bit her tongue, and her eyes widened. "Sorry." She added, guiltily, turning to him. "What I mean is that it's your choice."

Will looked around for a second. "I think I'll stay for a while."

She smiled a little. "Seen too much to go back, huh?"

"Not enough, actually." He corrected her. "I mean, I believed Ryo that this world existed, but it's just—it's so different _being_ here, you know?"

"Yeah, I do." She nodded.

"You think Ryo will be mad?" Will sounded nervous.

"Oh, he's gonna be _pissed_." Rika confirmed. "But he'll get over it. I'll beat him up if he doesn't."

"Uh, then," the boy stammered. "is there any chance we can not tell Ryo about all this?"

"Well, we can leave out the people-trying-to-kill-you part until he's ready." Rika nodded as she finished her hair. "Now, let's go."

"Huh?" he mumbled. "Where?

"Well, we've got the most connected group of beings in this world on the case, so there isn't much we can do to help, right?" she said as she grabbed a jacket from the closet. "So let's go explore this city! Come on, you've got to be a little curious about this place. It might be fun."

"Yeah, okay." Will agreed after a moment. "What do they eat around here?"

* * *

Reed gently rubbed the back of his head as he stepped into the room where the silhouette of the Destroyer was ready to yell at him. He really wasn't in the mood for it, but he had to go anyways. He was tired and his clothes were dirty—he hadn't had a chance to get changed since he'd woken up after Cronus knocked him out. Now he had to deal with explaining himself to the 'boss'.

"Do you know why you're here?" it asked.

"Because you're going to kill me?" Reed replied coldly. He was in pain, but he had the power of three Sovereign. He was ready for a fight.

A snicker. "If I was going to kill you I'd have had your throat cut while you lay unconscious."

Reed had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. He might not be able to see details in the screen, but he knew the screen could see him back.

"So why _am_ I here?" he asked, unsure.

"Because it has come to my intention that while your work has been a great asset, you're not reliable for my operations."

Reed heard the door open behind him, and his own hands began to glow red as he readied the attacks he'd absorbed—readied himself for a fight.

Two figured stepped into the room—well, _one_ stepped, the other slithered. The first was a BlueMeramon, the second a Gigadramon.

"I'm not going to kill you." The figure on the screen reassured him. But Reed didn't drop his guard.

"Then get them out of here." Reed ordered.

Reed dropped to all fours, the attacks he'd charged up receding, as an invisible hand pushed him to the floor.

"Keep in mind who is in charge here." The Destroyer growled.

The force let up, and Reed climbed to his feet silently, masking his fury. He reminded himself to refrain from giving attitude for the next while.

"I'm removing you from the assignment." the voice explained calmly. "You didn't kill Takato, and you haven't eliminated Rika yet, either."

"I took out Baihumon." Reed reminded him. "And two other ones, for that matter. I'm one Ebonwumon away from getting you your precious apocalypse."

"Which is much appreciated." The response was friendlier than before, but the tone quickly changed back. "But your instructions were to kill Rika."

"I'll work on it."

"No, you won't." it said coldly. "You're being replaced."

"They're only Ultimate level." Reed said grimly, through grit teeth. "_I_ have the strength of the three most powerful Mega levels in this world."

"I assure you that they're more capable than even you." The figure snickered. "I've granted them access to some of my power."

_You never gave _me_ any of your power._

Reed didn't have a response that wouldn't get his head cut off, so he didn't speak.

"Regardless, your sole duty now is to gather me intelligence on the Tamers' activities."

"Very well." Reed growled.

He turned and left the room, clenching a fist as the BlueMeramon and Gigadramon smirked at him.

His blood was boiling, but he didn't let it show. He waited until he was back at his room before he slammed his fist into the wall twice.

_Surveillance. _

Reed hit the wall again, before grabbing a towel from the dresser to wipe the blood off his knuckles.

Frustrated, he rushed to the nightstand, and grabbed one of the two pictures—the one of himself and the boy. It was the same as he'd left it. The boy at the top of the slide, grinning, and Reed waiting to catch him. Little Carter. At three and a half years old.

_What are you planning?_

For six months, Reed hadn't found a trace of the boy. But in the last few days, he'd seen him twice. Not only that, _Ryo_ had seen him. And so had Rika—he'd led her right to where that Gazimon had been hiding.

_Why now?_

He looked around the room, part of him hoping that the boy would be there.

He bit his lip. When Reed had confronted Takato and Cronus, he'd seen Carter again. It was what threw Reed off—distracted him. It was enough opportunity for Cronus to knock him out. Carter had betrayed him. The Destroyer replaced him. Reed hadn't counted on it, and his plans were ruined because of it.

_Fine. Change of plans._

He tossed the towel to the ground.

"_Time to pay a visit to Ryo_." Reed thought grimly.

* * *

So, I hope that's some indication that I haven't been avoiding this story _completely_. I've just been having trouble writing this chapter, since it brings Will into the spotlight more than he was in Diminuendo. I knew I wanted to bring him into this story since the beginning, but I didn't count on it being so difficult.

Please review!

-N


	11. Growing Up

Alright, so this chapter takes place like an hour after the last one left off. Rika and Will are in Hyperion, Takato's had his ass kicked and is with Cronus. Ryo's trying to learn what those prophecies about the Destroyer mean, and Reed, taken off of the 'project', just decided to have a meeting with Ryo.

R & R!

-N

* * *

Rika was feeling guilty that she was having such a good time. But just a little. She justified it to herself, reminding herself that there was no reason that she _shouldn't_ be relaxing. Renamon was working with the Circle of Telesto to locate the remaining Sovereign, gather information on the Destroyer, and find her friends. There was no sane reason she could think of that everyone would be better off if she and Will were running around blind trying to find the same information without the resources. She thought that it was a shame that the others weren't there, but Rika had gotten over being bitter at Takato for having everyone split up.

Besides, Rika was having a great time getting to know Will. She hadn't gotten to know him as well as Takato and Cronus had over the last few months, because things between her and Ryo had been so—unclear.

_Because they're _so_ clear now._

She was having a lot of fun, though. He'd certainly gotten over the initial shock of the entire city of Hyperion trying to kill him…she supposed the fact that they'd been given gigantic luxurious rooms was a pretty good indication that the Circle was sorry. Either way, Will seemed to be having a blast learning everything about the digital world.

He and Rika were exploring the city, and they'd come across a market area, which even Rika was pretty surprised to see. Will had seen a few things he wanted to buy, but it turned out that they didn't take money, as the city operated on a bartering system. He had been a little disappointed, but his mood was definitely not spoiled.

"I kinda feel bad that I'm having so much fun." Will suddenly winced, as if echoing Rika's own thoughts, as he put down a figurine of a Salamon.

"No reason we should." Rika had the speech prepared. "The Circle's gonna locate the others, then we can go find them. No reason we shouldn't enjoy ourselves 'til then." It sounded pretty rehearsed, but she'd only practiced it a little.

"I guess." Will said, not particularly convinced. "I guess I'm just worried about everyone."

Rika bit her lip. "They tend to be pretty responsible. Besides…Jeri, Henry, and Kazu are with Guardromon, Takato's with Cronus, and Ryo's with Cyberdramon, so they've all got someone looking out for them."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Will sounded more confident when he spoke. His attention suddenly turned to something past Rika, and he pointed, then walked towards it.

Rika too approached the shelf, and examined the object. It was roughly one foot long, was dark blue, and looked like a coiled snake.

"What is it?" Rika asked, her head tilted, as if a slightly different angle would give her an insightful perspective.

Will pointed to a few places on the snake's back, where there—was what Rika _thought_—were spots. "They're holes. I think it's a musical instrument."

"Totally not putting my mouth on that." Rika declared as Will laughed. "Hey, check that out!" Rika suddenly exclaimed, noticing something farther down the shelf.

It looked like a small glass cube, but inside was a miniature display of fireworks. As Rika moved towards it, they changed color and shape. The lights inside continued to dance over and over, and Rika didn't notice that it was playing any sort of pattern.

"Hey, do you think that'd make a good gift?" Will suddenly asked, moving his face closer to it.

"A gift?" Rika repeated.

"Mr. and Mrs. Matsuda." Will answered quickly.

"Takato's parents?" Rika clarified, already knowing the answer. He'd been staying with them while Ryo was in the digital world with everyone else.

"Yeah." He replied. "They're really nice."

"For sure." Rika assured him. "They'd like that, definitely."

Will's face lit up, but just for a second. "Oh. Right. Money."

Something clicked in Rika's mind, and she grinned. "What about those _dresses_ that the Circle made for you?"

Will looked confused. "Huh?"

"Well you're not gonna _wear_ them, right?" Rika taunted. "Come on, we'll go get them and trade them off. It'll be just like re-gifting." She grinned.

"Yeah, that might work!" Will was looking excited again. "They won't mind?"

"Doubt it." Rika replied honestly. "If they do, we can just lay the guilt card again for trying to kill us."

"That's making the best of a bad situation if I've ever heard it." Will laughed.

"Yeah, I kick ass like that." Rika nodded. "We can check to see if they've found out anything about the others yet, too.

* * *

Reed blinked twice, ensuring his contact lenses were in place. He looked around the room, trying to find out if he'd forgotten anything.

_Not like you actually need much_.

True. Since the Destroyer had put him on surveillance, Reed wasn't actually supposed to be leaving the building. Whatever. If the Destroyer asked, he'd just make something up about verifying the Tamers' movements.

"Where are _you _going?" called a low grunt of a voice.

Reed turned from the mirror to see BlueMeramon walking through the doorway.

"Out." Reed answered plainly.

"I imagine that's for the best—what with all that free time you have now." It taunted.

"Yep." Reed agreed, suppressing his anger from showing.

"I really don't know why the Destroyer ever gave you any power to begin with." BlueMeramon sneered.

Reed shot a glare. He knew that BlueMeramon was trying to get under his skin—taunt him into a fight. So that he had reason to kill him.

"I got all my power on my own." Reed retorted quickly, regretting it in an instant.

BlueMeramon laughed throatily. "You mean you have _none_ of the Destroyer's power?"

Reed didn't have a reply, so he tried to push through the door, but BlueMeramon moved in front of him. Reed looked at him, hard. "Move."

He did. Reed tried not to mind BlueMeramon's insults—Reed knew that BlueMeramon would be the first one to die.

* * *

Ryo wasn't comfortable. He wished he had some blankets or something—you could only get so comfortable when you were laying on dirt. Not even soft dirt—just—_dirt _. It could be worse. It could be—

_Mud…? _

Ryo opened his eyes for a moment, contemplating slapping himself for demonstrating the absolute worst example optimism in human history. He closed them again, trying to drown out the sound of Cyberdramon snoring.

Giz seemed to be working past it better than Ryo could. It was loud. But fortunately rhythmic. Ryo was bothered, though—he was really tired, but he knew he couldn't sleep, Cyberdramon's snoring aside. It was the worry that kept him awake.

One of them would die. Ryo felt guilty about it, but he actually went down the list of his friends, contemplating what would happen if it were each of them. Ultimately, the results were the same—he was devastated. He loved all of them, so much.

He'd actually be glad if it was him.

"Hey." Said a familiar voice, causing Ryo to grunt. His eyes fluttered, and he just rolled over.

"I'm really tired, Takato." Ryo replied absentmindedly. He heard Takato sigh, frustrated.

_Takato's not _here_, dumbass._

His eyes shot open, and he rolled back over to see Reed kneeling in front of him.

"I've rendered those two unconscious." Reed tilted his head to one side, indicating Giz and Cyberdramon, who appeared to be sleeping.

_Shit._

Ryo brought his gaze back to Reed, and he stared at him, his teeth grit.

Reed raised his hands innocently, as if in surrender. "Don't worry. They'll wake up as soon as I leave."

"Then _leave_." Ryo replied quickly, coldly.

"Would really love to, but there's a talk we need to have." Reed replied with a frown.

Ryo's eyebrow raised. "Shoot."

"Thanks for the co-operation." Reed said with a nod as he stood up, before nonchalantly adding, "Was worried I'd have to torture you."

Ryo didn't respond at all, but continued to stare at Reed, unimpressed, impatient.

"Right." Reed said quickly. "What's your earliest memory of me?"

_What?_

Ryo shrugged. "We found you in that cave a week or two back."

"Nothing from before that?"

_Before?_

The word _confused_ didn't even begin to describe what Ryo was feeling. Reed was even more insane than Ryo had imagined.

Reed looked at him, hard. "So, you don't remember anything about the Carter incident from three years ago?"

"What?"

Of course, Ryo had no idea what Reed was talking about, and knew Reed would be able to tell if Ryo started bullshitting him.

"Nothing, then?" Reed asked, suspicious.

"No." Ryo confirmed, frustrated.

"Alright." Reed said with some acceptance. "I've got a job for you."

Ryo actually laughed, which got an angry look as a response. "I'm not doing _anything_ for you."

"Oh, yes you are." Reed informed him. "Because right now I'm the only person on your side that can help you."

_On my side?_

Ryo just raised an eyebrow at him before he scoffed and stifled a laugh again, which, much to Ryo's amusement, made Reed all the more frustrated. But Ryo stopped laughing when Reed spoke next.

"Right now, there's an extremely powerful digimon heading towards Rika, and he _will_ kill her if you don't do _exactly_ what I say."

Ryo's gaze narrowed. "If you lay a hand on her—"

"As you can see, my hands are right here." Reed snapped. "Now. The digimon is BlueMeramon—only an Ultimate level, I'm sure you know, but it is a high-ranking agent of the Destroyer, and has been imbued with some—_extra_ power."

Ryo didn't quite believe him, but he knew there was no harm in listening, and he said nothing.

"For now, I want you to get to the city that Rika is at." Reed said carefully. "BlueMeramon won't be expecting you to be near there, but when he sees you, he'll have to change his plans. He shouldn't attack—he'll want you alive."

"What does it want with me?" Ryo asked.

"Once you get to where you're supposed to be," Reed continued, ignoring Ryo's question. "I'll contact you with further instructions."

"How?"

Reed smirked. "The same way I contacted you underneath Sarian, and outside of Galatea."

_The voice…?_

It couldn't have been Reed…that voice had warned him of the incoming attack—told him how to save Rika and Henry. It—it was _him_?

Ryo was shocked, trying to put the pieces together—pieces that didn't fit.

"Where is she?" Ryo finally asked, giving in. He believed Reed, as much as he'd hate to admit it.

"Hyperion." Reed answered. He indicated the sleeping Cyberdramon and Giz. "Either of those two should be able to direct you towards it. You and Cyberdramon should be able to make it there within an hour on those five speed cards Takato gave you. Your partner will be moving slower if you insist on bringing the Gazimon with you, so here's five more just in case." Reed tossed him a small pile of cards bound by a thin rubber band.

Ryo quietly accepted them, and put them into his pocket. "How'd you know Takato gave me those?"

"I've been keeping track of you." Reed answered as if there was nothing wrong with it.

Ryo stared at him, trying to figure the teen out, but not being able to come up with anything. "Why are you doing this?"

Reed shrugged. "I need the data."

"More power. Right." Ryo muttered. "Anything else I want to know?"

"Right." Reed exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering. "I almost forgot. Mention to _anyone_ that I'm helping you, and all of us—you, Rika, and myself—we _all_ die. Understood?"

It was pretty convincing. Ryo would ask Cyberdramon and Giz about Hyperion. If it was in the direction that Rika had gone in, then Ryo didn't have much of a choice but to make sure that she was okay.

"Alright." Ryo murmured. "Now I have a few questions for you."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'll give you anything?"

"Because you said that if I told anyone, _you'd_ die too. You probably should have left that out, because I don't _mind_ dying if it means I take you out with me." Ryo declared, turning the tables on him. "So are you gonna answer my question?"

Reed's eyes were closed, and he sighed in frustration as he realized his mistake, but he was smiling. "Well played." He replied, impressed. "Fire away."

_Good._

"If you've been keeping track of me, then I'm sure you saw those writings that we found. That talked about the Destroyer, and about us." Ryo told him.

"Of course." Reed nodded.

"What do they mean? What's gonna happen to one of us?"

Reed scratched his head. "There are people far more qualified than me in Hyperion, who can and will translate those for you."

"That's not an answer." Ryo growled.

"It's enough of one." Reed snapped. "But how's this: however pissed off—however confused, or frustrated you are now—you will be an infinite times _worse_ once you have those passages translated, so I'm going to advise against it. But I know you're gonna do it anyways, so—best of luck."

Reed bowed his head politely and walked past Ryo, stopping after a few steps and turning his head.

"What?" Ryo called as Reed continued to leave. "Hey!" he finally yelled.

But when he blinked Reed was gone, and all that was left were Cyberdramon and Giz looking at him like he was insane.

"Ryo?" Giz asked, looking around, worried.

Ryo looked down to the small stack of cards that Reed had given him. He licked his lower lip in thought, tapping his index finger on the cards, causing them to shake back and forth. He didn't have a choice but to do what Reed said.

"Let's get moving." Ryo said simply, hoping they wouldn't ask questions. He turned to Cyberdramon. "I need you to take us to Hyperion."

* * *

Rika was laughing pretty hard. Apparently, one of the passwords Will had cracked when he was breaking into the last layer of Hypnos' systems was the word 'bunny'. Will claims it took him the very longest because he was looking for something that would have been more complex. All the other layers had been between sixteen and twenty characters, alphanumeric, changing, random.

But she _could_ picture it: Yamaki, in all his intense, badass-ery, entering the final, static code. Bunny.

_Always knew he had a sense of humor deep down somewhere._

She was getting used to the layout of the city. Meteormon had given them each a small map of Hyperion, just incase they got lost. It came in handier to know where all the stores were, though. Hell, if she got lost, all she'd have to do was look up—as tall as some of the buildings were, any one of the five towers were visible from anywhere in it. And their rooms were in the Atlas tower, which was right in the middle.

Wisemon was standing outside of Atlas once Rika and Will they arrived there.

"I need to speak with you." The tall, cloaked creature said clearly.

"Something wrong?" Rika asked, hoping there wasn't.

Wisemon turned to Will. "I'm sorry William, but I was instructed to relay this to Rika, not yourself."

"I'd rather he stay." Rika noted before Will could take a step to leave.

The digimon nodded. "If that is your wish, Tamer." He agreed. "Meteormon and I have managed to locate a human that we believe is one of your friends—this human is with two digital life forms, and is headed towards the city."

_Two digimon with it…?_

"Ryo?" Will asked.

"Gotta be." Rika nodded. "He's the only one of us that fits that description…but he was supposed to be taking Giz back to Sarian…"

"When's he gonna be here?" Will asked, trying not to sound as excited as he obviously was.

"It's impossible to say." Wisemon answered. "His speed is erratic, and the course he is taking is rather irregular, which makes him difficult to track."

"Can you give an estimate?" Will persisted.

Wisemon paused. "By the very latest, tomorrow."

Rika noticed that both of them were looking at her, to make some sort of decision—as if there was one to be made. "Well, if we've still got some time, let's go buy that gift for Takato's parents. If Ryo's coming here for us, we probably won't be here long, so we should do everything we want to do quickly."

"Okay." Will agreed, running into the building, no doubt to his room to find those things to sell.

"Hey, we still have—" she called after him, but giving up as he'd already entered. "time." She finished, quieter.

"Excitable." Wisemon declared.

"I'm gonna go with 'energetic'." Rika replied. "So how'd you find Ryo, Cyberdramon, and Giz, anyways?"

"We have some technologies that allow us to track particular things." Wisemon explained. "We had hoped that being human, your friend would have some data comparable to yourself or William, but I couldn't find anything specific. But I felt a massive amount of power had emerged somewhere, though just for a minute. By the time I'd gotten to scan the area, it was gone, though he and his companions were headed here."

_Gone…Carter?_

Rika had nearly forgotten about the ghostly little boy.

"Power?" Rika repeated. "Anything you've felt before?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Wisemon clarified. "The power itself I'd never felt before, but there was a certain sense of familiarity to it." He gave a defeated shrug. "Though, I have been at this for hours…perhaps I'm just exhausted."

"I really _do_ appreciate it…" Rika told him gratefully. "If there's anything I can do—"

"Actually," Wisemon perked up. "I was hoping you could have young William look at some of our machines. He seems to have a way with them."

Rika was a little taken aback, but she figured it made sense. "I'm sure he'd be happy to help, but you'll have to ask him."

"That's very much appreciated." Wisemon bowed his head. "We truly are sorry for the misunderstanding."

_Where you guys thought he was the Destroyer?_

Rika didn't want to say that it was okay, because she knew it wasn't. But still, they really did seem sorry for it, and they were doing more than they had to in order help them out. She just nodded.

"I'm back!" Will called, rushing up to her, the folds of cloth under one arm. Wisemon only cast a short glance, apparently not caring that he was taking the clothes with him.

"I was wondering if I could ask you something." Wisemon started politely.

Will looked surprised, and a little nervous. "O—okay?"

"I've noticed that you're quite adept in terms of programming and mechanics and I was hoping you could help me recalibrate some of my equipment? You'd be doing the city a great service, and if anything else I'm sure you'd find the technology fascinating at the least."

"Oh, I'd be happy to try." Will's eyes lit up. "But I don't think I'll be much help…I mean, if Henry were here you'd be set, for sure. That is, I mean, he showed me how to do most of what I can, and—"

"Will?" Rika interrupted him. He looked at her. "Just say 'yes'."

"Y—yes!" he complied, getting a chuckle from Wisemon. "When?" he asked.

"There's absolutely no rush." Wisemon answered. "You two finish your exploring. I hope you're finding our city enjoyable."

"We are, thank you!" Rika nodded, grabbing Will by the arm and taking off.

* * *

"This is the place?" Ryo asked, dumbfounded. It was huge. He'd seen some neat architecture in the digital world before, but Hyperion was something else.

So much of the digital world had either desert or bare dirt underfoot. But everything near Hyperion was grass. It was beautiful. From outside the city, it looked like something out of a fairy tale. In the inside, however, it looked as if the grass had been plucked. It was so—civilized. Dirt roads. Buildings. A market. More buildings…really, really tall buildings. He looked up, staring at the towers. He tried counting the floors on them, but lost track after the thirtieth, when a digimon bumped into him.

"I'm gonna see if I can dig up some information on the Destroyer." Giz declared, heading off.

"Wa—where?" Ryo stammered.

Giz smirked. Ryo knew he wouldn't get an answer. Giz never revealed just who his contacts were. It was kind of frustrating to Ryo, but he knew it made sense. The more of a monopoly Giz had on intelligence, the more valuable it made him. Still, Ryo trusted the little guy. Ryo'd met him just shortly after he met Cyberdramon—hell, Ryo was the one who gave him the nickname 'Giz'.

_Where to now…?_

Reed had said he'd contact Ryo, but he hadn't, and they'd been in the city for ten minutes. Ryo was getting impatient, but he was getting worried, too. Reed was an annoying bastard, and the thought of him bugged Ryo—which was why Ryo was so frustrated about doing what he told him to.

He saw something out of the corner of his eye. A human. Blonde.

_Reed._

He was wearing a red hoodie, though he had just then put the hood over his head. He was carrying something, too. Some sort of fabric.

_What's he got wrapped in there?_

Cyberdramon grunted in confusion, but Ryo hushed him, indicating he stay there. Ryo crept closer. Reed was at some sort of counter. He handed the fabric to the digimon on the other side, who put some sort of glass cube in a bag, which Reed took. Reed put the hood over his head, and started walking away.

"Follow me, but keep some distance." Ryo whispered to Cyberdramon.

Ryo followed him through the crowd. It was sort of tricky, because there was a lot of digimon walking around. But Ryo managed to follow him to a different street that was a lot more clear. Reed paused next to a stone building, looking into the bag he'd been given—and Ryo rushed towards him.

As he got closer, though, he noticed that Reed was a little shorter than he remembered. But Ryo had already grabbed him by the shirt, and pushed his back against the wall hard, Ryo pressing his forearm against Reed's neck—

—and the bag he'd been carrying tipped sideways and fell to the ground, the glass cube shattering into a million pieces.

—and he saw that it wasn't Reed, but Will.

—and Ryo nearly fell backwards in shock, Will dropping to one knee, coughing.

"You…" Ryo spluttered incoherently. "What are you…?"

"Ryo?" Will asked, still coughing. "Why did you—"

There Ryo was, sitting in the middle of the damned apocalypse. Trying to keep his focus. Trying to do the mission he had _no choice_ but to do, even though he had to give up so much to do it. Trying to save the world. And his little brother was now a part of it. Part of the danger.

"What are you doing here?" Ryo nearly shouted. "How did you get here?"

The digital monsters were looking. Some of them murmuring. Ryo didn't care that he was making a scene, though. He pulled Will to his feet. "Answer me!"

"I wanted to know if you were okay!" Will protested. "Do you have any idea what it's like, being the one sitting and wondering if everyone's _dead_?"

Ryo inhaled deeply, frustrated. He paced for a moment, running a hand over his face, as if there was sweat on it. "I can't fucking believe this." He finally muttered.

"Hey!" a voice called from behind him. He spun around, and saw Rika, glaring at him furiously. "What do you think you're doing?" she snapped.

"_What?_" he asked indignantly. "He shouldn't _be_ here!"

"Maybe not. But it's a little late for that now." She defended. "So why are you doing this?"

"Because he's going to get himself killed!" Ryo protested, indicating Will fiercely. Cyberdramon had since crept up, heard the conversation, and once again left.

Rika scoffed. "You really are a selfish bastard, you know that?"

"Rika, it's okay—" Will attempted to interject.

Ryo felt like his skin was on fire. How could Will do that—put himself in that kind of danger? The digital world was _not_ the place for him. Ryo himself was only there to _protect_ Will from places like this.

"It's _not_ okay, Will." Ryo turned back to him. "You should _not_ be here!" he repeated. Will looked hurt, but Ryo was right. Will wasn't the kind of person who would survive there. Not in the digital world. He should have been at home. Watching a movie. Studying. Eating hot food. Safe.

He felt Rika grab his arm, and he spun around and met her glare with one of his own. If looks could kill, they'd both have been decapitated. Rika pushed his arm aside violently.

"Come find me when you _grow up._" She hissed. She turned and walked away, shaking her head in frustration.

Ryo wasn't in the mood to chase after her. He approached Will again, the broken glass crunching under his shoes.

"Will, I can not _believe_ that you would come here." He said quietly, angrily—hurt.

"…Sorry." was all Will replied with. He didn't meet Ryo's gaze. "I—I thought you'd be happy to see me."

Ryo sighed. Seeing Will—of course he was glad to see him. He was Ryo's brother, and Ryo loved him for that. "This was _not_ what I was expecting."

Will still looked upset. "Well, why _did_ you come here?"

Ryo's eyes shot open. He'd _actually_ forgotten why he'd come there. "Rika." He whispered. "She's in trouble."

"What?" Will asked, looking around. "What are you talking ab—"

"Which way did she go?" he asked frantically, trying to remember. Everything had just been so fast, so intense—he thought it was—

_That way. No…_

"There." Will pointed, not to the way Ryo would have thought.

"Are you sure?" Ryo asked, ready to dash.

"Ryo, what's—"

"_Are_ you _sure?_"

"Y—yeah, she went that way." Will stammered.

Ryo was moving, and he could tell that Will was behind him, calling after him. Ryo kept running, though. He didn't see any sign of commotion—at least, anything other than everyone staring at him. He must have looked like a madman. He was running out of breath when he got to an intersection. Left, or right? Which way would Rika go…?

He heard something loud—something destructive. Left.

_Oh, God._

"What was that?" Will called.

"It's after Rika." Ryo answered.

It wasn't hard to find where the noise had come from. One of the taller buildings was missing a chunk out of the top. Ryo headed there, and he saw just what Reed told him he would. BlueMeramon. Standing over Rika. Rika was conscious, but she didn't look well. She looked like she was ready to collapse any second.

"Desolation Claw!" he heard Cyberdramon growl. Ryo didn't know that he'd been chasing after him too, but was sure glad he had.

The red energy slashed BlueMeramon in the back, but it didn't phase him. He did, however, turn around.

"Again." Ryo said quietly.

"Desolation Claw!"

It slashed BlueMeramon across the face, but it stood there grinning.

"What is that…" Will asked, horrified.

BlueMeramon took a few steps forward. They were in a clearing. There was room to get around to Rika—room for _someone_ to get around to Rika.

"Will, get Rika out of here—_now!_" Ryo barked. Will rushed to her in an instant, helping her up, and putting one of Rika's arms over his shoulder as he helped move her.

"What about you?" Will suddenly asked, terror on his face.

"Don't worry about me—just go!" Ryo ordered. Will didn't move, and Ryo shouted louder. "_Go!_"

Will bit his lip, and complied with Ryo's instructions, and he hurried away, helping Rika walk. Ryo spun around to see BlueMeramon advancing on him. He looked around frantically, settling on an alleyway. "Cyberdramon." He said quietly. "Again. Then let's get out of here."

The third attack did no damage, but it succeeded in pissing BlueMeramon off.

He charged and Ryo ran, his partner behind him; the enemy behind them both.

_At least he's after us instead of them._

"Now what?" his partner inquired.

_Wish I knew._

"_Make a right here."_ The voice—_Reed_ ordered. Ryo grit his teeth and obeyed, Cyberdramon following behind him. _"Now a left up ahead."_

He regret listening to him soon afterwards once Ryo saw where he was.

_Dead end. Figures._

There were buildings on all sides, minus the small pathway he and Cyberdramon had run down. Ryo was at a loss. He couldn't run any farther. What did Reed…?

"Interesting choice of a hiding spot." BlueMeramon taunted, charging up an ability.

"Down!" Cyberdramon grunted, Ryo throwing himself to the side as the attack went between himself and Cyberdramon.

_Now what…?_

Cyberdramon's attack barely phased BlueMeramon, and though he dodged BlueMeramon's next attack, it went on to hit the building behind him, and Cyberdramon was soon pinned underneath a large piece of stone.

"Cyberdramon!" Ryo cried out.

"I'll take it from here." A voice said coolly from behind Ryo.

_Reed._

"You." BlueMeramon growled past Ryo towards Reed. "This is my mission. He ordered _you_ to surveillance, as I recall."

Reed's face twisted in sympathy. "Sorry, but there's been a change of plans. You see, I was thinking about what you said—about power, remember? I've decided I want more…and so I'm placing Ryo under my direct protection. Place him in harm's way, and I have the authority to kill you where you stand."

Ryo wished he had a damn idea what was going on—but he didn't, so he had no choice but to listen in and hope neither would make a move on him. Whatever the case, BlueMeramon looked worried, and Reed's smug smile only made the monster look more and more uneasy.

"And the other two?" it challenged.

Reed glanced at Ryo, smirking. "You're free to do what you wish…"

"You son of a bitch." Ryo growled at him, taking a step forward. He stopped in his tracks as Reed held up a hand.

"…but if Ryo were to, say, step in front of an attack to protect them, as I have no doubt he would?" Reed went on. "Then my authority would stand."

_What the hell is this guy doing…?_

Ryo decided he wouldn't try to argue a good thing. Reed was a maniacal bastard, but if he was going to kill that thing for Ryo, then by all means. Ryo might even luck out and have the two finish each other off.

"Explain yourself." BlueMeramon ordered.

"Make me." Reed rolled his eyes.

"I'm _capturing_ him." The digimon clarified angrily.

"Nope." Reed smirked.

"What's your interest in this human?" BlueMeramon demanded, indicating Ryo.

_Hell, even _I _want to know this one._

Ryo turned to Reed, curious, raising an eyebrow in anticipation.

"I have some very wonderful plans for this one." Reed said simply after some thought.

_Plans?_

"The Destroyer won't give a damn about your plans." The digimon growled, advancing. Ryo didn't dare take a step, but he was getting nervous. And he could tell BlueMeramon was getting nervous, too.

"He will." Reed's response was quiet, and Ryo was sure that while he heard it, BlueMeramon didn't.

In either case, something caught Ryo's attention out of his left eye—a glowing red. It was Reed's right hand, glowing brightly. Zhuqiaomon's power. The Sovereign's power—but Reed swung the red flaming arc at _Ryo_, causing the blue-eyed Tamer to throw himself to the ground, the attack swinging over his head. Ryo heard a grunt, and realized that it had hit BlueMeramon. Reed had planned it.

_Risky game._

Ryo climbed to his feet and stepped back, trying to get both threats in his sight. The digimon of blue fire looked _pissed_, and Ryo saw worry on Reed's face. Reed was worried of it's power. At least, until one of BlueMeramon's attacks hit Reed in the arm, and it didn't do anything. Reed seemed to be as shocked as BlueMeramon and Ryo were.

But Reed didn't take the time to gloat, and walked over to BlueMeramon in a few long strides, grabbing the taller digimon by the neck, pulling it down to eye level.

"How did you—" it stammered.

Ryo wasn't close enough to hear what Reed said in response, if anything. But Reed threw the creature onto the ground in front of Ryo. It tried to climb to its feet, but Reed was already on top of it, his right hand squeezing its throat hard. As Ryo could see Reed's fingers slip through its skin, he also saw a gentle spray of data trickle out and into the air.

"I'd warn you not to fuck around with me again," Reed said softly. "But I won't be giving you the chance."

Within a second, BlueMeramon was a cloud of data in front of both Ryo and Reed. Ryo looked to the boy standing in front of him—

—and Reed gently but forcefully pushed him backwards, Ryo landing on his back, uninjured but winded.

"Mine." Reed declared, stretching his arms out as he absorbed the data.

"You really need all that power?" Ryo asked, standing up.

"Yes." Was the simple answer that came to him, before Reed's tone suddenly changed. "W—what...?"

Reed started looking around frantically. "This isn't…how…?"

"What?" Ryo too was starting to become worried.

"Shit!" Reed hissed, punching the ground where BlueMeramon lay moments before. "As if I fell for this."

"Fell for _what_?" Ryo demanded, stepping forward.

"He knew I was gonna turn on him…" Reed mumbled. "So he—_damn it!_"

"What are you talking about?" Ryo asked louder.

"This wasn't who I thought it was." Reed answered, more to himself than to Ryo. "He must have left his power with the other one before he came here…"

"What do you mean?"

Reed finally turned to look at him. "I mean that unless I'm very much mistaken, I just made things a whole lot worse."

_Worse?_

"Well, what now?" Ryo asked, not entirely wanting to add fuel to the fire by telling Reed he had it coming.

Reed looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at Ryo again.

" I'm not sure." Reed admitted, panicked. His expression soon focused. "I'l let you know. I— I'm sorry."

He did a three-quarter turn and kicked Ryo hard in the chest, sending him backwards. The last thing Ryo remembered was his head hitting the wall behind him.

* * *

"Anything?" Rika asked hopefully, Will barely through the door.

"Not yet, but the Circle said he's gonna be alright, remember?"

She did, but she was still worried. She supposed that she just hated feeling helpless. It was nice being able to relax with Will when the Circle was locating their friends, but she couldn't move past feeling useless anymore.

"Right." She murmured.

Rika had been pretty out of it for a while. She remembered the BlueMeramon attacking her, but there wasn't much _to _remember. It had made a lot of noise, so she'd heard it coming. It sent out an attack, but it didn't come close to hitting her. It got the building behind her, though, and there were some pretty big chunks that were gonna fall from it. There was a little digimon that was going to be crushed, but Rika managed to get it out of the way. It was an In-Training, but Rika didn't have time to figure out just what it was. She'd got it out of the way, but left her back open, and BlueMeramon knocked her down. Things got blurry from there. Next thing she knew, Will was helping her away, and she couldn't speak coherently enough to ask where Ryo was.

Turns out Ryo had drawn the thing away, and gotten his ass kicked in the process. Fortunately, it looked like he and Cyberdramon had done just as much damage to BlueMeramon, because the bastard was nowhere to be found. Ryo, on the other hand, was resting in one of the rooms up above. Rika had pulled through with little more than a few scratches, and the Circle told her that Ryo would have about the same.

Will looked curious, dropping his gaze to the floor for a moment in thought. "Please don't be mad at him for yelling at me." He suddenly said.

Rika raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

A flash of embarrassment appeared on Will's face just long enough for Rika to notice it. She could see him think about taking the statement back, but he obviously knew she wouldn't let him.

"It's just—" he stammered. "You were pretty mad before when he was yelling. Try not to be mad at him though, okay?"

Rika suddenly recalled their argument. She'd known Ryo would overreact to seeing Will, but she still let it bug her.

"We yell at each other a _lot_." Rika explained. "It's nothing new."

"Oh." Will replied thoughtfully, staring at the floor.

"Hey." Rika said to him, getting him to look at her in the eye. "You don't worry either, okay? He's just worried about you. I'll have a talk with him."

"O—okay." Will admitted.

It was a shame. If Ryo hadn't been in such a bad mood, he could have been happy to see Will. Hell, _anybody_'d welcome a familiar face with the lives they led, and they places they had to go.

"So do you like—_like_ Ryo?"

It took Rika by surprise. Her mouth opened, but no words came out, only an embarrassed laughter. Mentally shrugging, she admitted it. "Yeah, I do."

"Have you told him?" he asked curiously.

Shrugging—this time visibly, Rika again answered truthfully. "No, not really."

"Oh." Will repeated. A brief pause. "You should."

Again, one of her eyebrows raised itself. He spoke with a sort of childishness in his voice, that implied everything was simpler than it was. But it did get her to think about it. Why _couldn't_ it be simple?

He was looking at her for a response. She caved, again.

"Yeah, I guess I should."

* * *

Ryo opened his eyes, expecting to be on the floor. But he wasn't on the floor, he was in a bed. A big bed. It was soft, comfortable. But he still had the self control to sit up and not fall asleep. No time for that.

"About time."

He looked to see Giz, sitting on a table, looking at him. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah." Ryo nodded. "Great, actually." He looked around. "Where's Rika?"

"Downstairs." Giz told him. "She's alright. So's Cyberdramon. And Will."

_Good._

"How long was I out?"

"'Bout two hours." Giz answered. "Good job with BlueMeramon."

_Right._

Ryo knew he couldn't say anything about Reed helping out. If Reed was telling the truth, nobody could know that he was involved. And if he wasn't telling the truth—well, Ryo couldn't take the chance that he wasn't.

Ryo looked around again. The room was elegantly furnished, and he hadn't quite questioned why he was there. Or why Rika was 'downstairs'.

"Where are we?" he finally asked.

"Still in Hyperion. Atlas. It's the biggest of the five towers. Giz explained to him about the city. It was ruled by the Circle of Telesto. Wisemon, Meteormon, Cerberumon, Grademon. Will had come there the day before, Rika that morning. There'd apparently been some misunderstanding of the city thinking Will was the Destroyer, but Ryo didn't let himself get worked up over it since Giz had preemptively told him not to. Anyways, he, Rika, and Will were welcome to stay in the city as long as they liked. Wisemon was working on tracking down the others.

"Anything else I should know?" Ryo asked, scratching his head. Giz's expression changed, and Ryo started to worry.

"Yeah. Part of those writings, Cyberdramon translated as _fallen human_."

"Yeah?" Ryo recalled. "That one of us was gonna die."

"I had the Circle take a look at the writings we found." Giz declared quickly.

Ryo shifted, and stood up. "And?"

He wasn't sure he actually wanted to know who would die, or when, if it was even an option to know.

"Wisemon was able to give me some insight on a few of the passages that Cyberdramon and I were struggling with."

"_And_...?" Ryo repeated, anxiously.

"One of the terms in it, the one that said a great hero would die…it's a tricky language, like we said, so a lot of things are ambiguous. Of course, our problem was that the term for 'death' has more meanings, one of which was 'create'."

Ryo didn't know whether or not to be relieved or furious for the worry. "So it's not so much an ancient scripture, so much as it was completely meaningless?"

"When we were reading it, we didn't consider that 'live' was the term we were looking for, because it _wouldn't_ make sense. But we weren't reading it right." Giz explained quickly. "That passage was at the end, but it doubles back, elsewhere on the wall. The writings are perfectly cogent when they're read properly."

"So what do they say?" Ryo was getting nervous and impatient again, and wasn't doing a very good job of hiding it.

"That particular part said that a herowould both live and die." Giz clarified. "But what it means is that there would be _two_ people to fulfill those actions. One hero would die, and the other would live—this is where the passage was cut off."

"But you were able to finish it, right?"

"Yes." Giz said with a nod. "One would die, and the other would live _as_ the Destroyer. _That's_ what the passage of the _fallen human_ was. The Destroyer _did_ lose his body, and would return. I got that part right. _Human_ uses a similar symbol as _hero_ in some passages. The Destroyer would die, then would live on _as_ _a human_."

_What?_

"And by 'human'…" Giz trailed off nervously.

"—you mean 'hero'." Ryo finished, catching on. "It's one of us, isn't it?"

Giz didn't actually answer, but he nodded slowly.

Ryo thought it over, his mind racing.

"It's looking like everything's been an inside job." Giz finally said, cutting the silence.

_An inside job._

"Who?" Ryo asked quietly, not making eye contact.

Giz shook his head.

"Have you told Rika and Will yet?" Ryo asked.

"They were there when I was told." Giz answered. "They're both in Rika's room right now, I came to check in on you. Wisemon wants to talk to you first, though."

"Can it wait? I really should talk to Rika about this…"

"Apparently not." Giz answered. "He said it's really important, and he wants to show you before he shows them."

_Show…me?_

"Alright." Ryo answered.

It took Ryo a couple of minutes to find where Wisemon was. Giz seemed to have assumed that Ryo knew his way around as well as Rika and Will did. Giz had left before Ryo realized he didn't know where to go, however—Giz'd left to let Rika and Will know that Ryo was okay, which Ryo realized was probably a fair enough reason to leave.

He asked for directions from the first creature he saw, and he followed the directions, and, sure enough, a Wisemon stood in the center of the room he entered.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Ryo said guiltily.

"It's alright." Wisemon replied softly. "I'm glad you're feeling better. Thank you for protecting the citizens from that creature."

"No problem." He said hurriedly, hoping Wisemon wouldn't press for details of the fight that Ryo actually helped in. "The others, did you find them?"

"Yes, and no." It replied. "I've detected a massive gathering of power, but there doesn't seem to be anything there anymore. But I was able to see what had happened when the power was there, and I think it's something you'd like to see."

Wisemon touched Ryo's head, and everything went white. But then, for an instant, he saw a splash of color—an image. It was brief, and it was only there for _just_ that instant…but it was clear. The sight was of Takato. He was laying on his back, his face, shirt, and hands covered in blood—his _own_ blood, from the amount coming out of his nose and mouth. Because the sight only lasted for a second, Ryo couldn't tell if he was moving. But what he could tell, was that Cronus was standing over him, without a scratch on him.

Ryo stumbled backwards, putting a hand on his head as it suddenly felt hot.

"That—" Ryo was too shocked to speak fluently. "How—how old is that?"

Wisemon shook his head. "There's no way to tell."

_Did Cronus…do—that…?_

More importantly—was Takato alright? Ryo _had_ to see more. There might still be time to get to Takato. Ryo put a hand over his mouth, taking a few steps in a circle, trying to figure out what to do—apparently, he didn't have any time to think about his next move. The image had been so clear. Wisemon wasn't _doing_ anything, and Ryo could _still_ see it in his mind.

"Can you show me any more?" Ryo asked, stepping forward.

Wisemon paused for a moment. "I can try."

"Thank you." Ryo whispered, placing himself right in front of the digimon. He closed his eyes for a second, before opening them just as Wisemon was placing his hands over Ryo's head.

Another flash. Ryo saw, but not through his eyes. Or from anyone's it seemed. It was a brief flash, but it was as clear as the first scene. Takato was being thrown against some sort of wall—Ryo could see his arm break…but before he could react, he heard Wisemon grunt, and Ryo got another glimpse. Takato falling to the ground on his arm. Again, a flash. Cronus put his foot on Takato's chest, taking one of Takato's hands in his. Takato was protesting. Cronus pulled, and—

The image went away, and both Ryo and Wisemon stumbled back this time, Wisemon dropping to the ground.

"Hey—_hey_!" Ryo called, rushing to him. "You alright?"

Some of his servants rushed over instants after Ryo made it to him.

"Yes, I think so." Wisemon replied slowly, allowing Ryo to help him up. "But I must rest now. I'm sorry, but I think that's all I can show you."

"Thank you." Ryo said sincerely, ensuring that the servants could get him safely out of the room. Ryo hurried out of the room, walking swiftly towards his own. He didn't let himself think about what he'd just seen until he'd entered it.

He paced, the image flashing in his head. He had no idea how long ago that had happened, or if it had even happened yet. He just kept seeing it—Takato's arm, twisted and broken. Cronus pulling it. Takato's arm.

_His arm_.

Ryo could still see it. A small glimmer of light as Takato hit the wall. Again, as Cronus stood over him. A tiny flash of light he hadn't noticed before. A glare off of Takato's watch. Jeri had given it to him for an early birthday present—Ryo recognized it because his mother had given one to Will for his own birthday when Ryo was in America. It had the date on it.

Dates didn't mean much in the digital world. _Unless_ there was something to compare it to. Will's watch. Ryo closed his eyes again. The image was burned into his mind—he knew he could do it. He managed to get closer, but not close enough. He breathed heavily through his teeth, trying to see again what he saw. He managed to get the time off of it, but he couldn't see through to the dials yet.

12:35 am. Ryo knew that didn't mean anything, but it was a sign that he was getting closer. He tried again, getting a _12_ from what turned out to have been the 'month' dial. Again, no help—but he knew exactly where he had to look now. And it worked. December the 7th. By that watch. He ran out the door, stopping the first digimon he saw.

"Hey, where's Will's room?"

The digimon took him all the way. It was down a floor, third room on the right from the stairwell. The door was open, and Ryo knocked as he walked in. Well, his hand made contact with it as he walked in, so it sort of sounded like he was knocking. Will was writing something down in a book that Ryo recognized as his sketchbook. Will was wearing a white t-shirt, but his wrists were bare.

"Did you bring your watch with you? The one mom gave you that says the date?" Ryo asked hopefully.

Will raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but it's kinda useless since there isn't 24 hours in a day here."

Ryo shifted. "Where is it?"

His younger brother pointed to the table in the corner with some things on it. Ryo walked over to it quickly, reaching past some of Will's stuff he recognized, picking up the watch. He hesitated for a second before he forced himself to look at the date. December the 8th. 5:01 pm. It had happened just more than 40 hours ago. Ryo put a hand over his mouth, breathing heavily as he paced, giving himself just enough direction to put the watch carefully on the table.

Ryo unintentionally caught Will's expression out of the corner of his eye. Ryo hesitated. There was no point in keeping Will out of this if he was already a part of it.

"Come on," Ryo finally said. "We need to find Rika."

Will didn't say anything, but he slipped on his shoes and followed Ryo. Neither spoke, though. Ryo knew he should apologize. And he would—once things settled down.

"Where's she staying?" Ryo asked awkwardly, knowing he had no clue.

"Down the hall here." Will answered. He led them to a door that looked like any other, and walked in. Rika was in there, with Giz.

"Hey." Ryo said. "You feeling alright?"

"Yeah." Rika nodded. "Thanks. You?"

"I'm good." He answered. They stared at each other for a moment, and probably would have continued to if Giz didn't speak. Rika was sitting on the bed, Giz at one of two chairs next to a table. Will moved to sit in the other chair. Ryo remained standing.

"We should sort out this new information on the Destroyer." Giz declared. "The longer we wait, the more trouble we'll be in."

"I still don't know if I believe it…" Rika said, unsure. "I mean, if the Destroyer gets—reborn, or whatever, it could be talking about something that's already happened. Or even something that might happen in the future. It doesn't specifically say now."

"It doesn't say that he's reborn all the time, either." Giz reminded her. "There is only one instance documented in history of the Destroyer ever appearing, which was when it was also defeated."

"What kind of person would it choose to become?" Will asked, curious.

Giz pondered it for a second. "Well, I imagine it would need a body capable of holding immense power, though it's possible it could deal with that afterwards…I don't know. This is something that's beyond my contacts. If this is something that's as predestined as it's supposed to be, then it would almost be a calling."

_Power. Human. Something—some_one_ special, unique. A special case…? Something that was a calling…_

Ryo's mouth dried as it suddenly hit him. "It's Cronus."

Rika and Will were both giving him the same look of disbelief. It took several seconds before Rika requested clarification.

"What?"

He wasn't looking at anyone in particular, though to them it must have looked like he was staring at the floor. "Wisemon showed me something, just a few minutes ago. He found Takato. He was—he was hurt. Badly. Cronus was standing over him."

"_What?_" Will stood up. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"I don't know." Ryo replied honestly, not knowing how to sugar-coat it. "But I think Cronus might have been the one that did it to him."

It was Giz to speak next. "That sounds rather out of context."

Ryo inhaled sharply. "Back when we first got back here…underneath Sarian, Cronus and I were attacked by a Gaogamon—the one who left Hyperion to go defend Sarian. The one from the Circle." He recalled. "I remember—I remember him saying 'Destroyer', but I think he was _calling_ Cronus the Destroyer."

"That, uh…" Will stammered. "No offense, but that seems like a pretty flimsy argument."

Ryo turned to Giz. "You said yourself. That—prophecy, or whatever…it said that the Destroyer will _be_ a great hero, right? Who's more of a hero than Guilmon?"

Giz didn't answer. Ryo caught Rika and Will giving each other looks, and he knew they didn't believe him. He sighed. "Will, everyone in Hyperion thought that _you_ were the Destroyer, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well don't you think it's possible that in a world where humans are essentially nonexistent, they might mix up two blonde male teenagers?"

Rika seemed to be thinking about it, but Will wasn't even close.

"Reed's got blonde hair, too." Rika challenged.

"That's true." Ryo admitted. "But he's no hero. And do you remember when he was trying to trade us to that—thing? When it betrayed him, he was pissed. Surprised. Scared. _Human_. When was the last time you saw Cronus show any bit of fear when something was about to kill him? Reed's either working _with_ the Destroyer—or he's a different player. I heard him talking with that BlueMeramon that attacked you."

"That—it just doesn't make any _sense_, Ryo." Will argued. "Ask anyone in Hyperion to draw you a picture of the Destroyer and I'll bet you anything they'd draw some big monster and not Cronus—or me, for that matter."

"We know that the Destroyer's something old…" Ryo said to himself quietly. "It might not be something they know consciously, but digital monsters all over have been acting strangely towards him." He turned to Rika. "I know Renamon's been getting bad vibes from him."

"What?" Rika challenged, half-surprised.

"Since we met up with her." Ryo replied quickly. He didn't want to imply he knew more about her partner than she did, but it needed to be said. "I overheard her mention it to Jeri."

"Giz, did you pick up anything from him?" Ryo asked.

"No." Giz said flatly, as he shook his head. "I thought he was human."

"He _is_—" Will persisted. "he's just a normal guy…"

"I'm not so sure anymore…" Ryo tried to say comfortingly. "He's more than just human, I'm sure of it. Rika, remember when we first met Reed, and he threw that knife at you?"

Rika winced a little as Ryo could see her recall the event. Reed had had his back to them, and when he'd noticed Rika, he had spun around and hurled a knife at her face—but Cronus had moved his hand in front, and it had pierced him instead of her.

"He moved _so_ quickly…" Ryo murmured. "and when there was that disturbance in that crater-thing, after Reed jumped in?" he went on. "Cronus was able to throw that data spike farther and with more accuracy than any pro athlete could."

"But doesn't that just prove he's _not_ bad?" Will disputed. "If he's some ultimate evil, why would he be saving us instead of trying to kill us?"

Ryo tried to think, but could only shrug weakly. "He's more than human." He repeated. "the way he moves in a fight—the speed that he reacts to things with, I mean. He learns things so quickly—"

"Yeah, but I get good grades and _I'm_ not—" Will started.

"Will, you're an absolute _genius_." Ryo interrupted. "But Cronus…he's something more."

Ryo hated having to express the belief that it was Cronus. As brilliant as Will was, he was also very naïve, and even if there was the slightest possibility that Cronus _was _the Destroyer, they had to look into it. Ryo tried to picture the fight with the Gaogamon underneath Sarian. Cronus had been pinned against a tree and it had been ready to kill him, but Cronus barely flinched.

"When did you start noticing this?" Giz asked carefully.

"I don't know." Ryo replied, defeated. "I'm only just now putting everything together, but this has been going back to since we came here. Takato wasn't sure if he was going to even let Cronus come to the digital world because we didn't know if anything would happen to him. We didn't _think_ anything did…"

"Maybe we should sleep on this…" Will suggested.

Ryo made another connection, and he could see that Rika made the same one.

"Sleepwalking." They said together. Will and Giz looked to each other, and then to them.

Ryo had almost forgotten about it. Rika had told him just before they met Reed, so he'd pushed it to the back of his mind with the chaos of everything that had been happening at the time.

"Shortly after we got here, the equipment Yamaki gave us broke down." Rika explained. "That night, I couldn't sleep, and I saw that Cronus was still awake—I mean, I _thought_ he was awake, but he was sleepwalking. I woke Takato up and we followed him. He said he didn't remember going anywhere, but he said that—that something was 'calling' him. The next morning the equipment was fixed, and it led us in the exact same direction he was sleepwalking."

"That…that doesn't mean—" Will declared absently.

"Where did it lead you?" Giz asked, obviously trying to fill in the blanks.

"To the disturbance, and to Reed." Ryo answered.

"So we know he's got some connection to either the disturbances or Reed." Giz reflected.

"Or both." Rika suggested uneasily.

Ryo closed his eyes, trying to make a timeline of everything he could recall about Cronus.

_Shit. This is not good._

"Back when Takato, Rika, and myself were in Valn's lab, Takato stayed behind so we could get out." Ryo declared. "Takato escaped to the digital world when the place was coming down, and it pulled back all our partners with it. They were all scattered around the world, but Takato and Guilmon wound up in the same place."

"Well, if they're partners, it makes sense that they're connected." Rika noted.

"The place they were was some sort of experiment Valn had been working on—making digital monsters human to make them weak, vulnerable. But of all the creatures involved, it worked differently on Guilmon, and he was able to access an extraordinary amount of power. The rest of the creatures there thought he was—evil, or something, because they all wanted to kill him—and Takato, Henry, and Mala, too." Ryo said, remembering everything Takato had told him. "When they were headed back to the real world Henry theorized that if Cronus went with them, he'd never be able to return to his normal form, but he went anyways."

"Did his behavior change when he was brought to the real world?" Giz asked.

"I don't think so." Ryo shook his head. "Takato, and Henry never mentioned it if it did. From there on, he'd been living like a person, ups and downs. He was flesh and blood—he even had the flu once."

"Because he's a _person_." Will said clearly, trying unsuccessfully to mask his frustration.

"Then Yamaki told us about how the digital world's been messed up since Takato and Cronus left, and he volunteered to come to help out." Ryo explained, more to Giz than to Rika or Will. "Takato was hesitant to let him, since they didn't know what would happen to him, but when we got here it looked like he was still human. He said he didn't get any of his—'abilities' back."

"So?" Giz asked.

"Well, he obviously has more power than he lets on." Ryo answered. "The reflexes. Being able to _sense_ the disturbance points without the scanner. Saying that something has been calling him. And—" he paused, looking at Rika. "and the village near where you and Henry got sick, Galatea…everyone there is dead."

"What?" Rika asked in disbelief.

"How did you hear about that?" Giz questioned him. "My sources here in Hyperion had told me about it, but I didn't think it was—"

"I know because I helped Cronus do it." Ryo exhaled. Everyone was staring at him in horror, and Ryo knew it was time to come clean about it. "When you and Henry were sick, the way we saved you came at the cost of that village." There was a few seconds of silence that it seemed nobody was going to interrupt, so Ryo did. "I won't apologize for it. Saving the two of you meant saving the rest of the world, and I'd do it again."

"Well, I mean," Will struggled. "That doesn't make _him_ any more likely to be the Destroyer than it does _you_. Not that I think you _are_, of course, but I—Ryo, this is a _huge_ accusation to be making…"

"I know." Ryo whispered. "But he's a very special case…"

"That's not fair." Will declared. "That he's evil because he's without—precedent, I guess? I mean, there's just so much…Like, take whoever's the fastest runner in the world. Just because nobody's ever run that fast before doesn't make them some—_harbinger_ of the apocalypse—"

"I get it." Ryo cut him off, quickly. He gave a little sigh. Will really looked up to both Ryo and Cronus, and Ryo felt bad saying such terrible things about Cronus. So he turned his attention to Rika. "Have you noticed that wherever we go, bad things tend to follow?"

Rika just gave a shrug, scratching the side of her head. "That was happening long before Guilmon became Cronus."

"I guess that's true." Ryo smirked. "But—what happened at Sarian…what happened with Reed—what happened to _you_…he played pretty important roles in all of it…"

She looked to be considering it, but she finally just shook her head, defeated.

"I don't know what to tell you, Ryo." Rika admitted. "I don't know him very well." She added awkwardly.

Because of Rika and his own complicated history, she hadn't seen much of Cronus, who was frequently with Takato, who was Ryo's best friend. He felt bad about it, but there wasn't any value in letting it bother him. At least not at the moment.

"Do any of you know him very well?" Giz asked curiously.

Ryo scratched his head. "Well, Takato, obviously." He turned to Will. "Next to Takato, I'd say Will spent the most time with him, and we all know how you feel about this." He clarified.

"Right." Will replied quickly. "Not evil."

As absent as Giz had been for their journey, he was probably their best bet to figure everything out. It was clear to Ryo that Giz was busy trying to put together any relevant information.

"So what we can't explain are abilities, why the thing at Sarian thought he was the Destroyer, how he could sense the disturbances," Giz started. "his strange behavior since you arrived back in the digital world, and what the prophecies are talking about."

"Ryo…" Will said quietly, his voice just above a squeak. "Do you—do you really get what you're saying? You're saying that what you saw happen to Takato…"

Ryo's gaze didn't waver, but he didn't know how to protect his little brother's feelings. "If it's Cronus, then yeah. I get it. It'd mean that _he_ did that to Takato. And if it was him, I swear to god I'll—"

Wisemon stepped into the room, and the discussion halted where it was. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I've made a discovery." Ryo turned to him, fairly certain it was something he simply didn't want to hear, but had to anyways. "Your friend, Cronus—it's faint, but I'm detecting two very distinct consciousnesses within him."

Ryo looked to Rika, whose expression was blank. Even Will was at a loss for words. Giz spoke, but to Ryo. "Sounds like there's your answer."

Ryo walked past Wisemon and to the door.

"Ryo?" Will called.

"Where are you going?" Rika asked at the same time.

"I'll be in my room."

Ryo was at a complete loss as he shut the door behind him. He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see that it was a tall mirror. Not overly tall, but it was just under his height, and maybe two and a half feet wide. He rushed over to it, leaning towards it, a hand on each side.

"Reed." He said aloud. He knew that Reed wasn't in the mirror—but if Reed was keeping track of him, Ryo wanted to speak to a face—even if it was his own. "I need help."

"_Do you have any idea how dangerous talking to me is?"_ Reed's voice spoke to him like he was an idiot, and Ryo wasn't in the mood.

"I'm sure you heard us just there. Was it true?"

A pause.

"_Your best bet of surviving this is to go home." _Reed said quietly. Though it seemed to be coming from everywhere, Ryo knew it was in his head.

"No." Ryo growled. "I need answers."

He waited for a full minute, but there was no answer. Ryo clenched his fists angrily, and with a frustrated shout, put his foot through the mirror. It made him feel better. He stared at the broken shards on the floor. If Ryo was superstitious, he'd be in a whole lot of trouble.

The shards reminded him of something, though. Will. He'd dropped something that had broken when Ryo grabbed him.

Ryo sighed, and headed back to Will's room. He knew he should apologize.

The door was open again, but Ryo knocked. The knocking made the door open slowly, but Ryo waited for permission..

"Hey." Will murmured.

"Got a minute?" Ryo asked hopefully, not actually stepping into the room yet.

He saw Will nod. "Yeah. What's up?" the boy asked, pretending not to be mad.

"I wanted to apologize for yelling at you." Ryo said sincerely, being sure to make eye contact. "It means a lot to me that you were worried, and I'm really grateful for that."

Will didn't look to be buying it at first, but he eventually nodded. "I didn't mean to get in trouble."

Ryo smirked and tilted his head, walking over to him. "From what I hear, you've been a great help."

Will smiled genuinely, but he didn't say anything.

The brown-haired Tamer noticed that Will had been writing in something. "What're you working on?"

His brother glanced at the paper on the desk beside him, before lifting it to show that it was actually a book. He hadn't been writing, he'd been drawing. "Gizmon asked me to tell him about the real world, so I thought I'd draw him some sketches."

"Giz." Ryo corrected, accepting the book Will handed him, but accidentally closing it, losing the page.

"It isn't short for Gizmon?" Will hadn't seemed to notice that Ryo had lost the page, and so made no effort to help him find it.

Ryo shook his head, trying to find the page. He scanned through it. It was mostly scribbles and some formulas that Ryo recognized, but he couldn't find the one Will'd just been working on. "He's a Gazimon."

A sigh came from Will. "I'm _never_ going to get this."

"I think you're doing pretty well—" Ryo started to reassure him before he found the sketch Will'd been working on. It was Shinjuku, a sort of cityscape. The view looked familiar. "Will, this is amazing."

It was extremely detailed. The shadows cast from the buildings were darkened perfectly without eclipsing the cars and people and everything else underneath. He saw their school, and the Hypnos building in the background. "Is our house here?"

Will shook his head. "The old house is right—there," he answered, indicating. "but this is what I remember from the window in the kitchen of the apartment."

"Oh…" Ryo said slowly, realizing, remembering. He tried not to spend prolonged hours in the kitchen after the time he accidentally burnt some bacon and the smoke alarm went off for everyone on the floor. "I didn't know you could draw—you really did this?"

Will shrugged. "It's not so hard if you just picture what you wanna make."

Ryo grinned wider, still impressed by the work. "Well, I'm sure Giz'll be very appreciative for this."

"I hope so." Will nodded, accepting the book as Ryo closed it and gave it back to him.

There was a short pause that Ryo attempted to break. "So what do you think of Rika?" he asked casually.

"Oh, she's the best." Will replied. "She helped me find my—" he trailed off, his vision training to something past Ryo. He hurried past him and picked up his backpack. "The Circle took it from me when I got here."

Ryo smirked. "Your backpack was what you were worried about?"

Will unzipped it and pulled out what Ryo recognized as two green juice boxes. What was supposed to be a sleeve of three, with one missing. Will pulled the plastic off and handed them to him. The side of one was sticky.

"They broke one of them and it kinda made a mess." Will explained.

Ryo examined them. Peach juice. It was his favorite. He grinned. "Thank you."

Will tried several times to toss the plastic wrap aside, as it kept sticking to his hand, no doubt from the dried juice on it. "Hang on, there's more." He added, finally throwing it to the floor triumphantly. He rolled up his sleeve and reached into the bag again. "Uh, there was a change of clothes for you too, but I think they kinda got juiced too." He said quietly. "Oh!"

The boy pulled out a small silver can and handed it to Ryo. Ryo accepted it, gently placing the juice boxes on the dresser.

"What's this?" Ryo asked, turning it to try to find a label.

"The label got ruined, but it should be fine 'cause it's sealed. Instant coffee." Will nodded. "Just add water."

"Thanks, man." Ryo said to him, smiling. "This is all great."

"You're welcome." Will told him. Another pause. "So you're not mad at me anymore?"

Ryo put an arm around him, giving him a hug. "Nah." Ryo took the opportunity to mess up Will's hair. The boy struggled to get away, but Ryo had him in a headlock. Will finally broke free, laughing.

Ryo couldn't laugh, though. He met Will's eye. "I think I get it, you know."

He looked confused. "Get what?"

"What it's like not knowing if someone you care about's okay."

"Takato." Will said as he realized.

Ryo nodded. He could actually see Will bite his tongue. He knew that Will almost said something about it not being Cronus, and as much as Ryo wished he was right, he knew they at least had to acknowledge it as a possibility. Will just didn't want to start another argument.

"Anyways, I'm gonna go get some sleep." Ryo said, scooping up all the stuff Will had given him. "Thanks again…I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Will replied. "Night."

Ryo didn't feel well. His stomach was hurting. He set what will had given him onto the table, and paced around.

The word _frustrated _didn't begin to describe how Ryo felt then. But as much as he felt like it, Ryo wouldn't let tears come to his eyes. He was breathing heavily, and his face was hot, but he wasn't crying. He wouldn't. He couldn't. A good thing, too, because had just Rika walked in.

He turned to her, but she was looking past him. He looked to see what she was so interested in, realizing she was staring at the stand-up mirror Ryo'd kicked to pieces.

"I know you miss hair gel and showering with hot water, Ryo, but _damn_. You don't look _that_ bad." She scolded him, sitting at the chair in front of the desk.

"Yeah, thanks." Ryo replied, smirking. He tried to stop showing his signs of frustration, but it didn't seem to be working, because Rika apparently noticed that he was shaking, however slightly.

"I just talked to Wisemon." Rika started. "He said that Takato's alive."

Ryo's body stiffened. "He found him?"

"No." Rika answered quickly. "But he just said that he can sense it. And that he's absolutely certain of it."

_That's something._

"Doesn't mean much, then." Ryo muttered.

Rika stood up. "Of _course_ it does." She told him. "If it happened more than a day ago—if he was in as bad shape as what you saw—then he wouldn't _be_ alive. Someone must have got to him—_helped_ him. Maybe it was Cronus?"

Ryo really didn't feel like getting into the argument again about whether or not Cronus was the Destroyer, which worked out well, because Ryo found some solace in thinking that maybe Cronus had saved him somehow. That Will was right, and that Ryo was wrong—that not in a million years Cronus would ever hurt any of them.

"Yeah, maybe." Ryo admitted, stopping for a second. "Hey, I'm sorry about before. The yelling, I mean. You were right, I shouldn't have been so mad at Will."

Rika gave a guilty nod. "No, you shouldn't have." She bit her lip. "But I'm sorry too, it wasn't my place to talk to you like that. I guess it's another marker on our argument counter."

Ryo gave a little chuckle, but stopped as he realized he was pacing again.

She was clearly _observing_ him, and Ryo wasn't doing a very good job at hiding his problems.

"Are you all right?" she finally asked, standing just a few inches in front of him.

He gave a single laugh that almost sounded like a cough. He had no idea where to even begin.

"Rika, I don't know if I can explain to you what it's like feeling this alone." He said quietly, her face visibly saddening. "Mom's dead, my dad's gone, Will's furious with me, and Takato—"

The thought didn't get finished, because Rika pushed her lips against his. He felt one of her hands gently touch his left arm, the other on his shoulder. It took several seconds before he remembered how to use his hands, and brought one to the small of her back. He broke the kiss off, but kept her close.

"Why did…?" he asked quietly, not sure how to word what he wanted to know.

Rika closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry, I should have asked—" She whispered.

"No, it's just—" he lost himself, staring into her face. "I'm just not sure I—understand."

"Ryo…" she said quietly. "When that—_thing_ was after me earlier, I wasn't scared. Not even for a second. Even when it hit me. Because I knew that you were there, and that…"

She paused, her eyes starting to water. She brought her hand to his cheek, and he felt the warmth of it on his skin.

"And I think about everything you've done—everything you've been through." She continued, not breaking eye contact even for an instant. Ryo'd forgotten how beautiful her eyes were. "And I know how—amazingly lucky I am to have you in my life. What I mean, is—I'm in _love_ with you, Ryo. And I think I always have been. I think you know that… "

Ryo must have looked like an idiot with the shocked look on his face that stayed there for a few seconds, but Rika still stared into his eyes, and he still looked right back into hers. He actually considered the possibility that he was dead, or asleep, or drugged up or something, and that it was all just some hallucination, but he knew it was real. He felt it was real. The corner of Rika's lips curled up in the smallest smile, as she looked around awkwardly for a second.

"Uh—please say—_something_." She requested quietly, the smirk growing, if only a little. A full smile came to Ryo's face, but just for an instant.

"This is—"Ryo stammered. "Is this for _real_…? Because if it's not I don't think I can handle—" he trailed off.

"Yeah." Rika nodded before he could finish. "This is for real. No more flip-flopping, no games, or whatever—and again, I'm so sorry that it took this long."

Ryo's smile didn't move, at least until he leaned to kiss her. But to his surprise, she broke it off shortly after.

"I'm not trying to—diminish the situation." Rika said quietly. "I'm worried about Takato too, I am." She added, meeting his eyes. "But I honestly believe that he'll be okay."

"I hope you're right." Ryo murmured.

Things didn't look good. They were all staring down the barrel of a gun that could have been held by one of their own. They were separated, injured, and without a clue what their next move should be.

But it somehow wasn't scary with Rika there facing it with him.

* * *

"So tell my why it is that I can sense BlueMeramon's data within you?"

_Busted._

"Because I killed him." Reed admitted, bracing himself.

"I should kill you where you—" the figure hissed angrily.

"I'd reconsider that if I were you." Reed interrupted. "You see, I'm somewhat volatile. I—aside from yourself, of course—am the most powerful being in this world. As it is, my power is now comparable to your own. I know that _you_ know I'm not stupid, though…so you won't be surprised to learn that I've installed a failsafe into myself."

"Go on." The Destroyer sounded interested.

"If my vital signs were to be terminated," Reed explained. "Then my power will immediately and permanently be transferred to Ryo Akiyama—along with the information necessary for him and his friends to reach the Guardian."

"How _dare_ you…" The voice echoed in a low growl.

"Now, know that that will only occur in the event that I die. Which is only possible by _your_ hands. So as long as you stop threatening me—and continue to hold up your end of the bargain, we won't have a problem."

Reed's heart was pounding. He was worried. The Destroyer was _much_ more powerful than he was, and Reed wouldn't stand a chance. Not yet. And Reed still had no idea what Gigadramon was capable of—he had no doubt that the Destroyer would give it an extra power boost now that he knew what Reed wasn't gonna be pushed around anymore.

Still, as long as Reed had his threat on the table, he didn't have as much to worry about for the time being.

"You know the deal." Reed said flatly. "I eliminate the Sovereign for you, and you give me Carter. After that, I'll be taking him back to the real world, and you can do what you want here."

"I'm impressed." The Destroyer cooed.

"Deal?" Reed tried to confirm, ignoring the praise.

"Deal." The figure agreed.

"Good. I'm glad we have an understanding." Reed said with a smile. Perhaps now he'd be getting treated with a little more respect. In turn, he decided to also be a more tolerable person. "Now, would you like me to deal with Takato, or are you going to do it yourself?"

"I can handle it." It answered. "I'm very close to him, after all."

"Of course." Reed nodded, and headed to the door. He paused. "Jeri—don't let her see."

"What do you care if she does?"

Another pause. Reed shrugged, and continued walking out. "I don't."

* * *

39 pages later…

Okay, again, I'm sorry if this was too long to be enjoyable, but thanks for stomaching it. I'm gonna try to get back to the 6000-ish format for the next two-to-four chapters, but Chapter 16 is gonna be another longer one.

As much as I'm not really in favor of the crazy-long chapters, one thing on the plus-side is that I find they get to use all the characters a lot better.

Not gonna post the teaser for the next chapter since this one's already over 13000 words long, but 12's gonna be about Ryo and Jeri, and I'm hoping the finish product'll be alright. It's another one of the chapters that I was (at some point) thinking about making a story itself. Anyways, hope you liked this one, and thanks again for reading!

Review, please!

-N


	12. Haunted

Huzzah for updates! Please, please, pretty please, review?

Thanks, and enjoy!

-N

* * *

**Previously:**

Jeri growled through grit teeth as calmly as she could. "But why are you helping me?"

She looked into Reed's eyes; blue, but a lighter blue than Ryo's. He looked upset, and Jeri actually saw a caring human being in there. "Because this isn't the future that anybody wants."

"What does that have to do with—"

—and Jeri knew what he meant. He wanted her to stop all of this.

/ / /

"One person alone can't change the future." Jeri argued flatly.

Reed looked to her. "I have faith in you."

/ / /

"I am what I am because of him." Cronus retorted uneasily.

"Weak." Reed replied disgusted. "Depressed. Useless. Overshadowed. You're alone because of him."

/ / /

"What kind of person would it choose to become?" Will asked, curious.

Giz pondered it for a second. "Well, I imagine it would need a body capable of holding immense power, though it's possible it could deal with that afterwards…I don't know. This is something that's beyond my contacts. If this is something that's as predestined as it's supposed to be, then it would almost be a calling."

Ryo's mouth dried as it suddenly hit him. "It's Cronus."

* * *

**Haunted:**

Jeri snuck back towards camp. She'd left quietly, while Kazu and Henry were both asleep. She told Guardromon she needed to stretch her legs—he didn't question her. It had been easier than she'd expected. She'd gone to the coordinated that Reed—Future Reed had given her.

The coordinates were to a village. Well, what was _left_ of a village. A few primitive huts, nothing impressive. Nothing living there, either. But there was no sign of battle, or fire, and the buildings were all standing. The village had been abandoned, not destroyed or attacked.

The Reed from the future had told her that she'd find answers there, but all she found was more questions. Unfortunately, since Reed also mentioned that most of her friends were under surveillance, it meant she couldn't talk to any of them about it. She kept telling herself that it would all make sense soon. At least some of it had started to make sense: there were four photographs there. There was the one she'd already seen—the girl—the pretty one with long brown hair—sitting on a swing. Reed had only called her 'the love of his life'. The second picture was Reed at the bottom of a bright red slide—there was a little boy at the top of it. On the back, was written 'Carter, three-years four months.' They both looked so sweet in it. The third picture was the three of them. The fourth picture, however, was slightly older. It was of Reed, he was somewhere indoors. She could tell from the window that it was still in the digital world, in the very hut she'd found the picture in. Reed looked a little younger—and, according to the calendar on the wall in the background, it was two years ago. But what made the picture so remarkable was who was standing next to Reed. A handsome, brown-haired boy with piercing blue eyes. It was Ryo.

When she'd had her glimpse of the future, Reed had mentioned that he and Ryo went 'way back'. He didn't explain it to her, though—he said not to 'tell him, there's a reason he doesn't remember'. Ryo'd been smiling in the picture, too—a genuine 'Ryo' smile; not his 'fake model' smile. Ryo and Reed used to be friends. The clothes Ryo was wearing was what he'd been wearing Jeri herself had first met him. The date on the calendar confirmed it—Ryo was with Reed shortly before he'd met up with the Tamers for the first time.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything else in the huts themselves. No more pictures, journals, anything. But there was a statue, however. Life-sized, of Reed. The inscription on the bottom said, "He Brought Us Hope".

She looked through all the other huts, but found nothing. Reed used to have been some sort of hero, and was either still on her side, or had really fallen. The more she thought about it, though, the less sense it made. Reed couldn't have been a hero—none of the digimon knew anything about him, while the Tamers themselves were almost celebrities. Then again—even _Ryo_ didn't remember him.

She knew she had to be patient. She tucked the photos into her back pocket as she arrived back at camp. Henry and Kazu were still asleep. Guardromon nodded at her, and she smiled.

"Feeling better?" he asked politely.

"Very much, thank you." She answered. "I was—" she trailed off. She saw something in the distance. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "What is that…?"

Guardromon turned to it, and Jeri continued to stare. It was a strange shape, but it was moving, and it was moving _towards_ them.

She took a few steps towards it, much to Guardromon's distress. "Jeri?"

Jeri heard Kazu mumble and stir, as Henry did the same. They were waking up. Jeri continued to walk towards it. It was moving slowly, not threatening. It—

—it was a person carrying another on their back. Specifically Cronus, carrying an unconscious, bloody Takato. Cronus stumbled, landing on his knees, and Takato fell limply to the ground.

"Takato?" she cried. "Takato, wake up, come on baby, just open your eyes, okay? Takato? Takato!" she was slapping her right palm gently on his cheek as she frantically begged for him to give her something. Some sign. Anything.

She took one of his hands in his. It was covered in dirt and blood and God knows what else. She squeezed it softly, trying to hold back the tears that welled up in her eyes. She'd never been so scared. She was shot about a year before, but this was scarier. Because now it was Takato who lay dying.

"Please…please!" she persisted. His head moved, and her heart stopped. "Takato?"

Jeri gently placed two fingers against his neck. Pulse was still there, but he still wasn't conscious. She suddenly spun around to the one person who would know what had happened to him.

"Cronus, what happened to him?"

Both Henry and Kazu were staring at him, too. But Cronus was just staring at Takato. He wasn't even blinking.

"Cronus!" Kazu shouted at him, grabbing him hard by the shoulder. Jeri was glad Kazu did it for her, because it meant she didn't have to let go of Takato. Cronus's head slowly turned to Kazu. Kazu had his attention. "What happened to him?"

"I—"Cronus turned back to Takato. "I don't kn—Takato…?"

"He's lost his _mind_." Henry muttered, turning his attention back to Takato.

Kazu had apparently given up on Cronus, and had gone to his backpack, and pulled out a white t-shirt. Jeri was confused until Kazu held part of it between his teeth and he started to shred it. He passed the first strip he tore to Jeri, she looked up and down his arms for cuts. He was covered in blood, but he didn't seem to have many injuries.

_Is it…not his blood? No, it is his._

There was a lot more around his nose and mouth, that she could see had _come_ from Takato. She looked to Henry. "Find me some water, okay?" Henry left without a word, but Jeri saw Kazu nod to Guardromon to go with Henry, which the big robot did.

"Cronus?" Jeri asked once more, not looking at him. She knew he probably wasn't looking at her either, so she caved and turned her head. "Cronus."

He looked at her, but said nothing.

"I need you to help me with his shirt, okay?" she said, staring him in the eye. It was hard to see from his hair—it could have passed for a smudge of dirt, but Cronus had a gash on his forehead that had definitely been bleeding, but most of it had been wiped away. Onto his arm, it looked like.

"What—what do I do?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Jeri pulled Takato towards her, so that he was in a sitting position. She raised his arms above his head slowly. "Hold him up with one arm, and hold his arms up with the other, okay?"

Cronus nodded and did what she'd asked him to. She carefully put her hands on the bottom of his shirt where there was no blood, as she knew that would mean there was no wound. She pulled up. Most of his chest and stomach was covered in dirt and dried blood, just like the rest of him. But still no cuts. A few scratches here and there, but nothing huge.

She nodded Cronus to let go of his arms as she pulled the shirt off, looking at his shoulders. She paused. His right arm was nearly purple, a giant bruise. Something big had happened. She indicated to Cronus to switch sides.

_No, wait. What's…?_

Jeri stopped mid-shuffle, and she noticed a series of bruises along his left side. Bruises, along his ribs. She bit her lip, and switched places with Cronus, who still held Takato in a sitting position.

"What the hell's…?" she murmured

There was a lot less blood on his back, but there was something else. A bruise, in the middle of his upper back. It looked like he'd been hit with a sledgehammer. It was purple and about the size of her fist.

_Arm._

There was another. On his right shoulder. It was hard to see, but it was there, and after she noticed it, it was all she could see. What had happened?

"Cronus…" she said quietly, though by then the tears had been freely rolling down her cheeks. Henry had arrived back with Guardromon. They must have found a lake or something and filled Guardromon up, because Guardromon quite literally spit water into a container Kazu held. Jeri didn't question it, but dabbed one of the pieces of shirt Kazu had torn in it, brushed aside Cronus's hair, and looked at his forehead. The gash was deep, but she gently dabbed at it, still not letting go of Takato. "I know this is difficult, but I really need you to remember what happened to you two."

* * *

Ryo walked into Will's room, following his brother. They'd spent most of the morning walking around the city, along with Rika. When Ryo had grabbed Will the day before, he'd dropped a gift he'd bought for Mr. and Mrs. Matsuda—it had broken from the fall, so Will wanted to get something else for them. He'd found something. Ryo wasn't entirely sure what it was, but it looked like the weird kind of ornament Takato's parents had everywhere. Ryo only warned Will to clarify beforehand that if it turned out to be some sort of bong when he gave it to them, to run quickly, and don't look back.

It was nice for him to feel close to Rika. Ryo was typically good around girls—even Rika—at least before. When she held his hand he acted all goofy. He had the same stupid grin on his face all morning. She didn't seem to mind, though. They'd decided not to _hide_ their relationship, but they'd be discrete—if any of their friends asked, they'd tell them…but if not, then they wouldn't bring it up. It was between them, after all.

"So do you think they'll like it?" Will asked for the third time, looking over the gift he'd just bought. "I mean, they have those old vases and stuff, right? So they should like this, right?"

Ryo laughed. "Yes, yes, and yes." He grinned, but it turned into a yawn.

Will noticed it, and his face twisted in thought. "I thought I gave you coffee?"

He gave a little chuckle in response. "Yeah, but it turns out they don't have anything resembling cream in this world. I'm working on enjoying it just black, but it's not going so well."

Will bit his lip and went to his backpack. He emerged with a small white jar, which he tossed to Ryo.

Ryo looked at it. It was full of a white powder. "If this is drugs you're so _very_ grounded."

"Coffee whitener." Will clarified. "I know the powdered stuff is gross but it's the only thing that'd be guaranteed to keep. Sorry, I forgot about it yesterday. It was under the juice-covered clothes."

Ryo gave a wide grin again. "You really do think of everything, don't you?"

"So I'm told." Will replied absentmindedly. "Crap." He suddenly added.

Ryo was concerned. "What?"

"I told Wisemon I was gonna help him figure out some techie stuff, and I completely forgot about it. I hope he's not mad at me."

_Techie stuff?_

"Figure out what?" Ryo asked. Will was bright, but he had only been in the digital world for three days. Why were they putting him to work?

Ryo was grateful for all their hospitality, he really was. But he was still in need of some answers that nobody would give him. He'd asked around about the Guardian—the one who beat the Destroyer the first time. But like Cyberdramon and Giz warned, nobody was open to talking about it. Fair enough, it was important to their religious beliefs or whatever. But they wouldn't tell Ryo why they thought Will was the Destroyer, either. It fed to his Cronus-Is-The-Destroyer theory, but Ryo found himself trying harder and harder to disprove it. Maybe for Will's sake.

"I'm not sure." Will answered honestly. "He showed me some of their stuff the other day, it's really cool. They had all these parts to circuits, but they didn't know what they did, but the only thing I was actually able to show them was how to charge Rika's mp3 player…I think they're hoping I'll find something that's actually useful for them. Like, I don't know, security lights, or something? Know when someone's trying to get into the city?"

"Yeah, maybe." Ryo said, pretending to be agreeing, however lost he was. "So when are you gonna go?"

"I should probably go now…" Will trailed off, looking thoughtful. "Hey, will you come with me incase Wisemon's upset? I really wouldn't know what to say if that were the case."

Ryo snickered at the thought of the cloaked digimon crying because Will stood him up, but he nodded. "Yeah, sure. Just come with me to my room so I can finally make some of this stuff, okay?" he said, holding up the jar of whitener.

Ryo turned to the door, but stopped dead in his tracks.

_Did the door just move?_

He looked around for a second, trying to place where in the room he'd been standing.

_I walked in, so the door was behind me. Then Will went to his backpack, so I turned to the left. So the door would be left of there. Did I turn my body, or did I just turn my head? Why—why am I even thinking about—_

He stumbled, catching the door out of the corner of his right eye.

"Ryo?" Will asked worriedly, steadying him. "Is something wrong?"

Ryo swallowed hard. His head was spinning, and things were getting blurry. "Something's wrong." He blurted out absently.

* * *

"Baihumon." Cronus finally said. It was quiet, but he said it with inspiration. Jeri looked at him quizzically.

_Baihumon? The Sovereign?_

"Baihumon is dead." Cronus said, as if trying to form the sentence.

"What?" Kazu asked, shocked.

Jeri was finding herself more concerned with Cronus and Takato than Baihumon. There was still another Sovereign. There wasn't another Takato, or another Cronus. Her best guess was that Cronus had a concussion, but she knew her best guess wasn't worth much.

She'd cleaned up the mark on his head, but he probably needed stitches and painkillers or something and she just didn't have any idea what to do.

So she did what she could, and she cleaned the blood off of Takato's face.

The wind got in her eye, and she blinked a few times awkwardly. But she paused.

_It's not windy._

She looked around. Henry, Guardromon, and Kazu were looking at her anxiously, while Cronus was staring at Takato curiously. He looked like a little kid. Hell, he was _behaving_ like a little kid.

_Well, he _is_ a kid._

Cronus _had_ only been human for about a year. Jeri shook her head, turning her focus back to Takato, whose chest rose and fell rhythmically. But the wind got her in the face again.

_What wind?_

"Jeri?" Kazu asked carefully.

She gently set Takato's head down against a folded piece of the shirt, and backed away a step. She felt weak, like she was about to pass out, and she didn't want to hurt him.

"Something's—wrong."

* * *

"Maybe you should lay down." Will suggested, trying to guide Ryo to the bed.

Ryo nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think I just—need—"

Ryo only had one hand on the bed when his legs gave out under him. Will was trying to help him up, but he just wasn't strong enough.

"It's okay." Will tried to reassure him. "Just try to stay awake, okay?" His brother must have lifted with his legs or something, because he somehow found the strength to help Ryo to his feet. Ryo shook his head for a second, trying to get a grip on what was happening. But when his legs gave out on him again, Will couldn't have gotten to him in time, and he fell to the floor.

Ryo's expression was locked in a look of blank confusion. "Why can't I feel— "

* * *

"—my legs?" Jeri asked.

Jeri was looking around frantically, and Kazu didn't quite know what to do. He stood up quickly, but held his hands up, as if in surrender, walking carefully towards her. He didn't want her to freak out, and the girl looked like she was ready to snap.

"Jeri, it's me." He said soothingly. "Something's happening to you."

He could tell she could hear him, because she looked towards him—though him. She didn't look _at_ him.

"Jeri?" he repeated.

She shuffled her feet a bit, as if the ground was sticky, or giving out under her or something. She finally whimpered, and he saw her knees bend as she started to crumple to the ground.

Kazu moved quickly though, and he got to her before she could fall. He felt at her neck, as she'd done to Takato. She had a pulse. He gently set her onto the ground, cushioning her head with his hand. Her eyes were wide open.

_Jeri…?_

* * *

"Ryo?" Will cried. "Ryo, what are you—?"

Will was breathing quickly. Ryo was staring at him. Eyes wide open. Even his mouth was open a little bit. Ryo was staring _right_ at him. But why wouldn't he…?

"Ryo, get up!" Will shouted. "Please, you have to wake up!"

_He's not_…

No, he wasn't dead. He was warm, and he was breathing, and he had a heartbeat. But it was like Ryo wasn't in there.

"Somebody!" Will shouted to the door, praying that anyone was nearby. "Somebody get in here _now!_ I need help!"

* * *

Reed stared into the two screens anxiously, moving his hands slowly, in a circular washing motion. He exhaled deeply.

"There, that's better."

* * *

Ryo sat up with a gasp. He looked around the room, spotting Will, who was staring at him in horror.

"Ryo? Ryo, what are you—?"

"I'm okay, I think." Ryo nodded. "It was probably just—"

"Ryo, get up! Please, you have to wake up!" Will cried, rushing over. Ryo stood up quickly, trying to show Will he was alright, but it was then that Ryo looked down, and saw that he was staring at his own body.

_Oh, shit. This can't be good._

"Hey, hey—Will!" Ryo called. He reached to put his hands on Will's shoulders, but they went right through. Like he wasn't even there.

* * *

"Come on, Jeri, focus, okay?" Kazu called to her.

Jeri watched him, yelling at her body. "Kazu, I'm—_right—here_."

"What happened?" Henry shouted as he rushed over.

"Nothing! I'm right—" Jeri growled in frustration. "Who's watching Takato?"

"She passed out." Kazu murmured.

"Think it's got anything to do with what happened to Takato?" Henry asked.

"No." was Kazu's immediate answer. "Takato's at least got marks on him. Jeri was fine until something came over her."

Jeri did remember that much. She'd gotten dizzy, and she'd feinted. But just for a second, and then she got back up. Except she wasn't in her freaking body, and nobody could _hear her_.

_Well, _they _can't_.

She took in a deep breath. "_Can anybody hear me!_" she shouted at the top of her lungs. It hurt—but it was worth it.

"I can." a whisper replied.

She spun around. She didn't see anybody.

* * *

"Is someone there?" Ryo asked in response to the whisper. There wasn't anybody in the room but Will, and things seemed to be moving in some sort of slow motion.

"I'm here, Ryo. I'm always here."

* * *

"Where?" Jeri asked. "I—I can't see you."

"Right next to you, Jeri. Close to your heart." The voice replied, getting clearer. It was a deep voice, of a man. "After all—"

* * *

The voice Ryo heard was a woman, and as it became clearer, he recognized it.

"—isn't that where I belong?" it finished.

Ryo stared as the body of the voice appeared in front of him. He stared at it for several seconds that felt like lifetimes, trying to determine if his eyes were deceiving him. Things started to go bright around him, and the room he was in before disappeared, Will and his own body included. All that remained was who Ryo was staring at, and she was perfectly clear.

"…Mom?"

* * *

He was all that Jeri could see. Everything else had faded away, and Jeri was now standing over nothing but white. Nothing but nothingness. But she barely noticed, because he was just as she remembered him. "Leomon…"

* * *

Will inhaled sharply, a fist around the collar of Ryo's shirt.

"Wake up, Ryo—_please_, you have to get up—" Will begged, shaking him gently. He turned to the door, though which nobody had come in. "_I said someone get in here _now!"

Someone did. Will didn't know enough about digimon to know what kind it was, but he'd take whatever help he could get. It looked like a bear, but it was running towards him on two feet, and seemed to be wearing some sort of black sash along with a backwards baseball cap.

"What happened?" it asked, rushing over to Will and Ryo.

"He just passed out." Will said, wishing he had more information to give. "What should—who are you?"

"Bearmon." It answered.

_If only all their names made that much sense._

"Can you help him?" Will asked.

"Has anyone else been in here?" Bearmon asked, examining Ryo for wounds.

Will shook his head. "I've been calling, but nobody else has—"

A sharp pain found its way to Will's face, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground. Bearmon had struck him. Will staggered to his feet, and he stumbled a few steps away. When he turned to see the digimon, it had Ryo over his shoulder, and was advancing on Will. But it wasn't Bearmon anymore.

_Is this that—digivolving?_

Will hadn't seen anything digivolve before, but what he was staring at didn't seem right. Ryo told him that when things digivolve, they still tend to keep some of the same physical traits—if Bearmon was a bear before, it should probably still look like a bear after it evolved. What Will was staring at, however, while roughly still only four-feet high, looked to be pitch black, and shaped like what Will could only describe as a demon. Pointed horn-like things on its head, long claws, and a tail.

"What—?" Will stammered. "Put him down!"

It laughed—its voice was lower, a menacing growl that echoed. Will was terrified. He had no experience fighting, and there wasn't even anything in the room he could use as a weapon.

It advanced on Will, and Will took another step back.

"Get _away!_" Will barked helplessly, wanting it to put Ryo down first, _then_ to run away.

"Diamond Storm!" a different voice called. Will saw several white bullet-like shards fly towards him, and he promptly dropped to the ground. The thing that had been Bearmon didn't, though, and it soon disappeared into a cloud of specks, Ryo dropping to the floor where the creature stood.

Will stared as the cloud disappeared entirely, and Rika rushed in, followed by her partner. Will had forgotten Rika's partner's name.

"Will! Ryo!" Rika called, helping Will to his feet. "What happened!"

"I don't know!" Will cried. "Ryo got dizzy, then he fell down, and then Bearmon came in, then he hit me, then he turned into—that, and then—"

"What do you mean he turned into that?" Rika's partner asked him.

Will tried to remember if he'd seen anything. It had all happened so fast… "It was a bear, and he said his name was Bearmon, and then he just—_changed_." Will said simply. "Did it digivolve?"

"No." Rika's partner answered. "That was not part of Bearmon's evolution chain."

"Can we please get back to what happened to Ryo?" Rika demanded. She was kneeling in front of him, trying to get him to wake up. Ryo's eyes were still open.

* * *

Kazu grabbed Cronus by both shoulders, and shook him hard. "Cronus!" he yelled loudly. Cronus didn't react, and so Kazu repeated the action two more times. Three. Four—nothing.

_Goddamn it_.

He stormed back to where Jeri lay—Kazu'd folded his jacket underneath her head. She looked dead. He knew she wasn't, but she looked it, and it bothered him. He had closed her eyes, since _when_ she woke up, it would be more comfortable for her if her eyes weren't dry.

But he moved over to her body, leaned over her, and shouted as loud as he possibly could.

"_Jeri!_"

* * *

_Kazu?_

She'd thought she'd heard his voice, but she didn't see him. And she wasn't even sure if she'd heard it. It might have just been an echo from when she _could_ see him. It probably didn't help that her ear was pressed against Leomon's chest as they hugged.

"How are you here?" she finally brought herself to ask.

"I don't know." He replied softly. "But I'm glad I am—I've missed you.

She smiled back at him, pulling away from their embrace. "I missed you too…but—why can't they see us?" she asked, pointing to the others—and to her_ self_, whose body was still laying on the ground next to Henry.

Suddenly Henry wasn't there anymore—none of them were. The world around her was moving, and in a few short seconds, Jeri and Leomon were somewhere else.

_No…_

It was the future. The one she'd seen weeks before. The Destroyer had succeeded, and the barrier that separated both worlds had come down. Everything was dead.

"This—" she stammered. She noticed something, a body.

_Reed?_

No, it wasn't Reed—it was Takato. Dead. His right arm torn off. Blood everywhere. Eyes that stared to the grim, grey sky.

_No…_

She said nothing. But it still got to her, though she knew it shouldn't. It wasn't real.

"I spoke to you of destiny, once." Leomon said suddenly, looking around.

She paused a moment, but then nodded. "I remember. I'm supposed to stop this."

He touched her shoulder softly. "You can't."

_What?_

She didn't have to _say_ it; Leomon could tell from the look she gave him.

"Fighting—it can't stop this. Nothing can. Unless…"

He didn't finish. But again, the world around her changed.

* * *

"I'm so sorry I haven't been here for you, sweetie." His mother whispered as she stroked his hair. "I've missed you so much."

Ryo let it sink in, taking a half-step back to look at her face again. "How can you be here?"

She shrugged weakly. "I don't really know…but I am."

He smiled softly. "Yeah—_hey_! You've gotta see Will…!"

Her expression sank. She looked grim.

"Mom…?"

"Not yet." She said suddenly. "There's something you need to see."

Everything around him began to change. He'd seen it happen in the digital world before, but mostly when he was sleeping there, and dreaming. But this wasn't exactly a dream, it was something different. Every sensation was so real. She _smelled_ like his mother.

"Okay." He replied.

* * *

Jeri knew where Leomon had taken her the instant she saw it. Takato, Henry, Rika, herself, Suzi, Ryo, Kazu, and Kenta. And all their partners. And Beelzemon. Renamon and Guilmon were on the ground, and Beelzemon was fighting Leomon. It was the battle where Leomon died.

"You remember the details." Leomon said solemnly.

"Of course I do." Jeri replied, honestly a little hurt.

Beelzemon screamed in anger, and in a flash, his fist was through Leomon's chest. Her friends all stared on in horror. The fear in their faces looked even greater—they looked so young, yet it had only been two years.

Jeri winced. She had no need to see what she was seeing—she could remember every detail of it without the visual aid. She knew where everyone was standing, what they were wearing, and where they moved.

"Why am I seeing this again?" Jeri asked, turning to the Leomon that stood beside her. Leomon wasn't looking back at her, though—he was staring at the image.

"You're not going to cry?"

She paused, thinking of how to best explain it. "Can't change the future by living in the past."

Leomon finally turned to her. "Very good."

* * *

Kazu slapped Cronus hard, and the blonde boy fell to the ground face-first. Henry's jaw had dropped. When Cronus spun back around, he looked shocked. "Kazu?"

The brown spiky-haired Tamer got ready to smack him again. "You back with us now?" he asked, hesitantly.

"I'm sorry." Cronus nodded. "I'm—what…?" he touched a hand to his forehead, and seemed to the gash that Kazu had been staring at.

Cronus rushed over to Takato, and Kazu didn't let himself roll his eyes. Cronus might not be the help he thought he would be if even he didn't have a clue what was happening.

"And—Jeri?" Cronus spun around, shocked. "Guys, what happened to them?"

"We don't know." Henry answered before Kazu could. "_You_ carried Takato here, and Jeri blacked out a little bit after."

"We were hoping you could tell us." Kazu clarified, arms crossed.

Something wasn't right, that much Kazu was sure of. Unfortunately, he had no idea _what_ wasn't right. Cronus was acting even stranger than usual. Kazu understood that the guy's usual weird behavior could be blamed on the fact he'd only been a human for a littler while. Fair enough, it happens—well, it happens in the screwed-up lives that Kazu and his friends lived, anyways. But spacing out as bad as he was, and the memory loss was something entirely new. Unfortunately, until Takato woke up, Kazu would have to wait for some answers.

…_maybe not._

Kazu glanced back through the trees behind him. He'd seen Jeri sneak off there earlier. Maybe he could find some answers. Giving a little sigh, he turned and started walking.

"Kazu?" Henry called.

Kazu heard the metal clanking of Guardromon moving. By the time Kazu turned around, his partner was right in front of him. He leaned forward.

"Guardromon, keep them safe just incase, okay?" Kazu told him quietly, glancing at Cronus, who looked mindless again. "…and keep an eye on Cronus."

Guardromon gave a confused look, but finally nodded, and Kazu was on his way.

"Wait…!" Henry called again, confused. "Where are you going?"

"To get some answers."

* * *

_What's—_

Ryo's mouth went dry when he realized what he was seeing. He was in the kitchen of his old house, standing, shaking. His mother's body was on the floor, a paramedic on each side of her. They were trying to resuscitate her. Ryo—the Ryo from _then_, was staring on, quiet, nervous. The real Ryo looked around, recalling the event perfectly. On the carpet was a dark spot—it was where his mother had dropped a glass of water before she fell.

He stepped into the living room. He moved until he was standing over her.

Her eyes were open, and even pointed towards him, but they weren't looking at him. Because there was nobody in there.

He tried to place a hand on her cheek, but he went right through. Because it wasn't real. Standing up, he turned back towards his old self. Miriam stood between the two Ryos.

"Why am I here?" Ryo asked. He could see his mother was crying—not looking at her body, but at Ryo.

"I told you…" she said, wiping a tear off her face. "There's something you need to see. Your past, your present, and your future. It's important that you see."

Ryo shook his head in confusion, signaling for her to say more, but she didn't. "Please, I already know what's happening here."

She looked to the floor, this time at herself. Ryo couldn't bring himself to turn around. Ryo had been out of the house when his mother actually died. He was supposed to meet Rika for a picnic, but he'd forgotten something. Drinks, was it? But he was at the spot early, so he had time to run back to his house to get them. But when he got there…

_It shouldn't have happened._

If Ryo hadn't gone out of the house that night, maybe he could have gotten the paramedics there sooner. Gotten to a hospital. Anything. He didn't even know if Rika was going to meet him there that night, but he left her alone. He knew she'd been having headaches, but—

"I never blamed you." His mother said, as if reading his mind. "Not once."

He met her eye. "Then why are you showing me this?"

She looked upset for a second. "Not yet, but soon." She assured him. "There's still more you need to remember."

_Remember…?_

"Alright." He nodded. "What is it?"

She closed her eyes, and again, the world changed. Ryo was somewhere else—somewhere darker.

_It was night._

He knew the street he was on—he'd walked down it a million times. He was just outside of Takato's house, and he could see a second version of himself knocking on the door absentmindedly.

"Will was here that night." Ryo blurted out.

_No…_

"No." he said aloud. "I don't want to see this." Ryo spun around and started to hurry away. He knew what was coming—it was the same night, and he was about to tell Will what had happened to Miriam. Ryo walked faster, his pace bursting into a run, but as soon as he made it past the third house down the street, there was a flash, and he was back outside of Takato's house.

"Please, Ryo…" Miriam said quietly. "You've made it through this once before, you can do it again."

"How can this be important?" Ryo barked, his face flush.

She turned to the door, as Takato answered it. He was in a black t-shirt and some pajama pants. Ryo remembered that he'd woken him up.

"Ryo?" Takato asked. "What are you doing here, something wrong?" Takato took a step back, inviting Ryo inside.

Ryo hadn't actually remembered the walk there, but he knew that he'd been walking slowly, loudly—his feet dragging. But he had remembered his one thought—_What am I going to tell Will…?_ Miriam approached Takato and Ryo, and the real Ryo slowly did the same.

"I need to talk to Will." Ryo answered, his voice droning, finally stepping in.

"Course, he's downstairs." Takato replied, rubbing his eye. "But are you okay?"

Ryo stumbled forward, loudly. His foot had hit the end-table next to the couch. There was nothing on it, but it made a loud sound.

"Ryo, are you okay?" Takato repeated, halting.

Ryo remembered what would happen, and he watched and waited for it. He stumbled again, this time sideways, barely being able to steady himself against the wall. Takato rushed to him, helping him stand up, guiding him to the couch.

The real Ryo winced as he watched his shoe step on Takato's bare foot, Takato's face twisting in pain but not actually saying anything.

"Okay—okay. Ryo?" Takato tried again. "Talk to me."

"They said that they couldn't do anything." He mumbled, staring—staring at a picture of Takato and his family. "Things like that are beyond our control."

"What?" his best friend's confusion echoing in his voice. "Ryo—Ryo? Hey, _hey!_ Stay with me now."

Ryo'd started to pass out, his head spinning, bobbing. Takato was slapping at his face, trying to bring him around. It worked, and Ryo shook his head, trying to pull himself together.

"What's going on?" Cronus asked, stepping into the room.

The real Ryo examined Cronus's face. It was full of concern. He knew he probably shouldn't have been thinking about it, but if Cronus _was_ the Destroyer—he hadn't changed until they got back to the digital world.

"I don't know." Takato answered. "He just showed up here and started rambling. Get me some water, will ya?"

"Yeah." Cronus nodded, rushing to the kitchen. Ryo heard Cronus fumbling with a glass and then opening the fridge. He soon came back with a glass of water, which he handed to Takato. Takato was busy trying to get Ryo to sit up. He set the glass on the table, and he could see Takato fumbling through Ryo's hair for some blood or bump or something—Ryo realized how strange it must have been for them.

"Is Will still asleep?" Takato asked. Cronus nodded. "Can you go get him?" Again, the blonde boy nodded and hurried out of the room.

The real Ryo stepped forward. "No—no, Cronus, just let him sleep—"

"They can't hear you." Miriam informed him.

_I noticed._

Takato's parents came down the stairs. They looked at Takato, silently mouthing the name 'Ryo', to which Takato nodded in response.

"Ryo, what happened?" Takato tried again.

"No!" the real Ryo shouted in vain, his blood feeling like it stopped running through his body. It was about to happen. "Don't answer that!"

"My mom…" Ryo said quietly. "She's dead."

Ryo remembered the silence that followed it. And how everyone turned to see Will, and how he was standing in the doorway to the living room, his mouth open, and how the tears welled in his eyes. Ryo remembered how he'd pulled himself together then, and stood up. "Will…"

Will rushed to the door, ducking under Mr. Matsuda's arm, and he ran outside. Ryo remembered chasing after him, while everyone followed—the real Ryo and his mother included. Will had tripped just outside the house, and Ryo had knelt down next to him, trying to pull him together.

"Will, I'm so sorry, I didn't want for you to find out like that, I—"

It all stopped moving, and Ryo turned to Miriam. "Why?" he asked once more.

"You needed to remember."

"'Remember'?" Ryo asked, growling. "I never _forgot_."

She nodded. "Then you know the hurt you've caused him."

_What…?_

"I never meant to—"

"Our intentions alone rarely _mean _anything, Ryo…" his mother said sorrowfully. "If the mightiest king and the weakest pauper have the same intentions, who would get the most done?"

Ryo was dumbfounded. What was she getting at…?

"Do you recall the last conversation we had together?" she suddenly asked.

He nodded. "Of course. What you told me about Will."

She had told him how she left his father after finding out she was pregnant, and then pretended to have adopted Will so that his dad wouldn't come after her.

"You still haven't told him." She noted. "Why?"

_Because I'm scared._

"You never did either." He challenged. "He loved you—if he found out you'd lied to him his whole life, then he might look at you different—I didn't want to— it wasn't my place to take that away from him."

She smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Kazu had no idea where he was going, but he had to do something_—anything_. Jeri had been looking for something out there, and Kazu knew that it might be something he could use to help bring her back—and maybe even Takato, too.

He came to a clearing, and spun around as he heard a noise. Nothing there—but now he'd forgotten which way he was going. He saw a light out of the corner of his eye, and spun around once more, seeing a little boy standing there. He looked maybe four years old.

_Cronus…?_

"Who are you?" Kazu asked, freezing. It wasn't a digimon, but Kazu wasn't getting the vibe that the kid was dangerous.

"My name is Carter." The boy replied. "And I need to tell you that if you don't get back to your friends—now…then your mission, and everything that you have all done to complete it, will have been for nothing."

"What?" the brown haired boy demanded. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"To save the world…" Carter answered quietly, his stare moving from Kazu, to the ground, then to Kazu again. "Your mission is failing, Kazu."

'_Failing'?_

"You mean the Sovereign…" Kazu realized.

"There's no time—" the boy sounded frantic, and he pointed to a direction which Kazu finally recognized as where he came from. "They'll beat it, and they'll wake up. But you have to go—go now!"

Kazu growled, and ran.

* * *

Miriam was crying, and Ryo wasn't quite sure why. The world rearranged to where he'd been when he'd woken up—or woken out, or whatever had happened to him. Him on the floor, Will trying to get him to wake up.

"Ryo, you're going to need to make a choice, and I hope you choose correctly."

"Alright." Ryo replied simply, as he stared at Will try in vain to wake him up.

"In a moment, an agent of the Destroyer is going to attack Will. And shortly after that, Will will die."

Ryo could feel his heart stop.

_What?_

"Tell me what you're talking about."

As Ryo finished the sentence, a Bearmon walked in. He'd seen it around the tower a few times, but didn't think anything of it. There were hundreds of digimon in there. It exchanged a few words with Will that Ryo couldn't hear, and then hit him in the face. Everything froze.

Ryo's jaw had dropped as he stared at the stationary event in front of him. He turned to his mother for some help. "What—how did you know—"

"Ryo, right here,_ right now_, the world is set to go down a path of bloodshed, death, and tragedy." Miriam said quietly. "You couldn't protect Will—you didn't send him home when you should have."

"No." Ryo defended, looking around. "This hasn't happened…"

"Not yet. But it will, unless…" She told him. "There's only _one_ way to stop it."

He took another step toward her, inches away from her face. "I'll do anything."

* * *

"Now what?" Jeri asked. The world started to change around her, and again she was in the 'future'. Grey, dusty ruins.

"Jeri, do you know why the D-Reaper chose you as its host?" Leomon suddenly asked.

She scratched her arm. "Because I was sad about what happened to you." She replied guiltily.

"Wrong." He told her. "What happened would have happened whether I'd died or not."

_Huh?_

"What do you mean?" Jeri stammered. "I—it _told_ me that it came after me because I was feeling so much grief."

"It was lying." Leomon sighed. "After I was—returned—to the world, I saw it—the D-Reaper. Its code—it's intentions, and the way it processed everything—It picked you because it saw a darkness in you."

She felt her body stiffen. "'_Darkness_'?" she quoted.

"I didn't understand it, either." He admitted. "But it's there. I can feel it—_you _can feel it too, can't you? You felt it when you were frustrated when Guilmon brought Takato back and wouldn't tell you what happened. You felt it towards yourself when you saw Takato like that—for not being there with him when it happened; to protect him. You know it's there—and more importantly, the Destroyer knows it's there, too."

_The Destroyer…_

"It will assimilate with you, just as the D-Reaper did." Leomon went on. "It knows no weakness, Jeri. None."

Jeri was taken aback. "So how can I stop it?"

"Simple." He smiled at her. "Just stay here with me."

* * *

Another shift. Ryo was looking at the real world—no, it wasn't the real world. It looked like it at first glance, but—it was what the world would look like after the Destroyer tore down the barrier. The world was in ruins. There didn't seem to be any signs of life—only death. There were bodies on the ground. One of them right at his feet, which he recognized.

Ryo stumbled away from the image. Takato's body. Mutilated—one of his arms torn right off. Cronus appeared, standing over the body, looking down at it blankly before disappearing. Ryo knew it wasn't exactly _real_, but the sight of it still caused him physical pain. He thought he might be sick.

"This is how the world ends." Miriam said quietly. "The other day, there was a BlueMeramon that attacked you and William…you learned that you are important to the Destroyer."

"No…" Ryo clarified. "I learned I'm important to Reed."

* * *

_Damn it…_

Reed shifted in his chair.

* * *

Something flickered out of the corner of his eye, but his mother didn't seem to notice. Ryo noticed, though. And he noticed that Takato's body was gone.

"You are instrumental to—_this_." She went on, arms outstretched indicating the destruction around him. "But by removing yourself from this chain of events, you can reshape them." Miriam told him. "It's the only way to stop this."

Ryo wasn't looking at her, but was staring at the world around him. "I have to stop this." He repeated as her words sunk in. Will. Rika. Takato. The others—he had to save them.

"How can I—'remove' myself from this?"

"You just have to say you will." She started.

* * *

"If you stay asleep," Leomon told her, "your friends will take you back to the real world, where you'll remain—out of the Destroyer's reach."

* * *

"And then, when you're out of its grasp," Miriam explained. "This can't happen."

Ryo bit his lip. "What'll happen to me when I'm there?"

She looked to the ground. "You'll remain asleep for some time."

"How long is 'some time'?"

Miriam paused, not giving him an actual answer.

"Please, Ryo…I understand that you'll be sacrificing a great deal, but there is so much at stake. If you stay in the digital world, you'll die. And so will Will. And Rika. All of them."

* * *

_No. This isn't right._

The word 'right' had many meanings, but for Jeri, in that context, it had a special one. Jeri was looking at the worlds' end. But it wasn't _what_ the worlds' end was going to look like, because she'd seen it already—back when she was forced into that calculated future.

The details were strikingly similar, but there was something missing—she and Leomon stood right outside where Reed's hideout had been, but there was nothing there anymore. It had been left out.

"Will you do it?" Leomon asked. "Will you—"

* * *

"—go to sleep?" Miriam asked.

Ryo's jaw was quivering, but tears still didn't come to his eyes. He wasn't even sure if he _could_ cry anymore. He lowered his head, and then nodded.

"What do I have to do?"

* * *

"_No_." Jeri replied quietly.

* * *

Ryo's body jerked alert suddenly. He wasn't as affected as he had been a few seconds ago. What was happening to him…? Miriam took a step towards him, her hand extended.

"…No." he suddenly said, taking a quick step back.

"It's okay…" his mother said soothingly. "It won't hurt a bit."

Ryo took another step back. He repeated himself: "No."

* * *

"This isn't right." She said flatly. "None of it adds up."

He started to flicker. There was an instant she could see through him—another instant where he was solid, and several dozen more where he turned into various people she knew—Takato, her friends, her mother, her _step_-mother, her dad, her brother—some teachers from school—but within a few seconds he was 'Leomon' again.

"Jeri?" he asked, curiously.

"Good act." She said dryly. "Now tell me who you are."

* * *

_Jeri?_

"Jeri?" Ryo called out. He'd heard her voice—she was sure of it.

_None of this is real. That can't be Jeri._

No, it _was_ Jeri. Something about it was different—he'd heard her voice, and he'd _known_ it was her. It was real—_she_ was real.

"Jeri!"

"Who are you talking to?" Miriam said with a confused laugh.

* * *

"Back when you showed me how you died, you asked me if I remembered the details." Jeri said accusingly. "I did—_you_ got them wrong. Ryo wasn't there when you died. Leomon would have remembered that." She met him square in the eye, and she stared daggers at him. "Just like he would _never_ tell me to give up."

She knew that there was a darkness in her. It was part of what made her _human_. If she'd learned _anything _from what happened with the D-Reaper, it was that it was normal for her to feel things, be they good or bad.

"You don't deserve to wear his face." Jeri said coldly. It was as if her words were a digital monster's attack—as she spoke them, she could see Leomon become hurt, and parts of him start to trickle away.

But she didn't hold back.

* * *

"I love you." Ryo said quietly, his voice little more than a whimper.

Miriam smiled at him warmly. "I love you too, sweetheart."

Ryo paused. He had already figured it out—he'd figured it out as soon as he heard Jeri's voice. He just wanted to _hear_ his mom say that one more time.

"Losing my mom broke my heart." Ryo confessed. "And Will's. And it felt like mine broke again—seeing him like that. But you're not her. Our mom would _never _tell me to give up. But this is all in my head—and it's time for you to _get the hell out of it_."

* * *

Jeri had figured out that everything she had been shown was some sort of illusion, or mind game or something. But for a split second, she heard Ryo's voice, and she knew he was real.

"The Leomon that I loved died a long time ago." She said softly. "He believed in me—said I have a lion's heart. He talked to me about destiny once, and I know that mine is to _stop_ this." She started to indicate the ruins around her, but they were disappearing. It was all breaking. "My purpose _includes_ being with my friends and _stopping_ the Destroyer."

He faded into data. The last time she'd seen it happen, she was crying, but she wasn't this time. Because this time it wasn't Leomon. It looked like him, but it just wasn't. But as the imposter faded out of sight, someone else faded into view.

* * *

"Ryo…" Miriam said slowly, unsure. "I'm trying to stop you from throwing away your life—"

"It doesn't matter what you say, what you try to convince me." Ryo said, defending himself from her words before they could get out. "I'll _always_ protect Rika and Will. Even if it kills me. Whoever you are, doing this…you know me pretty well. But I gotta admit, I'm offended that you don't know me well enough to know that those two _are_ my life. I won't give up on them, and I won't give up on myself, either. If I die protecting them—that's not throwing my life away."

She disappeared as if she were a digimon. Hell, maybe that's what it _was_, that had taken her shape, and said those things.

He didn't feel much then. No relief in overcoming it. No pride in standing up for himself or his beliefs. No sorrow for the thought of losing his mother again. Just—nothing at all.

And when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he had to suppress the reflex to grab it and throw the person to the ground.

Good thing he had suppressed it, too—Jeri was there, standing behind him, looking at him curiously.

_Another trick?_

"Are you…real?" she asked.

This was new. He nodded slowly. "Are you?"

She hugged him tightly. A typical Jeri response. If this was another trick, they'd done their homework.

"Ryo, what's happening to us?" she asked, burying her face against his chest. He could feel the warmth of it. It was Jeri. He put an arm around her, and he hugged her back.

"I don't know." Ryo whispered back. "But I—I saw my mom."

He felt her pull away from him, and they looked each other in the eye. The difference being that Jeri's eyes had tears in them. "Are you okay?"

_She's crying, and she's making sure that _I'm_ okay._

He gently ran his thumb up her cheek, catching a tear. She smiled softly, and in an instant he knew that she'd just been through what he had. The exact same thing.

"You saw Leomon, didn't you?" he asked.

She nodded. "It looked like him, but it wasn't."

He hugged her again. "Same thing happened with my mom. She tried to get me to—to go to sleep."

"Ryo, what's doing this to us?" she asked, her breath warm on his chest.

He didn't have an answer for her—or for himself, but he really wished that he did. He tried to come up with something, but he couldn't. It wasn't intentional, but he looked around for a distraction—or perhaps for something to give him some insight. But things were starting to disappear. It was ending—he was going to wake up.

"Jeri," he said, trying to figure out how to tell her. "Takato—something's happened to him."

"Wh—do you know what?" she asked desperately, again pulling away from him, though evidently not surprised by the supposed revelation. "There was so much blood…"

"Wait, you knew?"

She nodded. "Cronus carried him to us."

_Cronus…_

He grabbed her arms firmly, and he looked at her intensely. "Jeri, you have to listen to me. I found writings about the Destroyer, and I think that it's Cronus."

"What?" she asked, shocked.

Ryo literally bit his tongue, trying to think of just what to say—to best use the time he had with her. As important as the information was, he couldn't handle another argument like the one he had with Will and Rika the day before.

"With a scan, Rika and I were able to detect two distinct consciousnesses _in_ Cronus though— he might not even know it himself."

Jeri didn't say anything, and Ryo began to wonder if she was even considering it, but she finally nodded. "How do I know this—I mean, _this_, is real?" she asked, indicating the fading world around them.

Ryo bit his lip. What could he do to prove it…?

"Takato—"Ryo realized. "The laces on his left shoe are black on some spots, because I tied them into big knots when he was sleeping the first night we got here. When he couldn't untie them he tried burning them before Rika told him that was stupid."

A smile flashed on Jeri's face—clearly amused, but she must have known there wasn't time to find humor. He could see her trying to think of something to offer as some sort of proof to Ryo that he really was getting through to her.

"What's Rika's favorite number?" she suddenly asked.

Ryo shrugged. He had no idea.

"It's 47." Jeri told him. "Run that by her." she added conclusively.

He nodded, but he didn't let go of her arms. "_Watch_ him, Jeri. Don't let him out of your sight, okay?"

"…Okay." She nodded. "And you and Rika are in Hyperion, right?"

"That's right." Ryo told her. "Guardromon should be able to get you all here. I'll see you soon?"

"I'll see you soon." She agreed.

A good a place as any for the conversation to end—a flash, and Ryo was back in his body. He shot upright, his head colliding with Will's, who had been leaning over him.

"Ow, _damn it_!" Will shouted immediately, putting one hand on the side of his head. He paused for a moment, evidently realizing that Ryo had woken up. Ryo grinned, and Will ran over and threw his arms around him. "You're okay!"

* * *

Reed sighed as the program terminated itself, various error messages plaguing his screen.

"Okay." He muttered to himself. "That did _not_ work."

* * *

"Had us worried." Rika said, putting one of her hands on his, which was still on Will's back.

"Nah, you know I'm too stubborn to die." Ryo clarified, letting go of Will. "How long was I out?" he asked. He had apparently unconscious long enough to be moved to a bed, which Ryo shifted to get off of.

"And here we were thinking it was luck." Rika said teasingly.

_Luck._

"Hey, what's your lucky number?" Ryo suddenly recalled, turning his head to her quickly. She looked confused, and rightly so.

"What? Why?"

"Just— what is it?"

Rika looked stunned, and her left eyebrow raised. "47." She replied slowly. "Why?" she repeated.

_Jeri._

Ryo exhaled deeply. "Takato and Cronus are with Jeri, Kazu, and Henry." He said aloud. "They're on their way to meet us here."

He saw Will and Rika exchange looks with each other, but then saw Rika's expression change to utter confusion. Equally confused, Ryo turned to Will, and saw what Rika was staring at. There was a little boy standing behind Will. He looked like Cronus—it was the boy that Ryo had seen a few days before—the boy who had led him to the writings about the Destroyer.

"You…" Ryo murmured. "Who are you?" he asked.

Rika grabbed Ryo's shoulder firmly. "You can _see _him?"

Ryo nodded, but he didn't take his eyes off of the boy—it was a mistake he didn't want to repeat. Will had turned to stare at the boy, and his gaze shifted from the kid to Ryo, to Rika, then back again. He didn't ask any questions, but Ryo knew he wanted to.

The boy still stared at Ryo, and opened his mouth to speak.

"I have a message for you."

* * *

Yeeeeeeah, so that again was longer than I'd wanted it to be. And this is AFTER I cut out a whole bunch of scenes. Jeri was supposed to have a flashback/tour of the D-Reaper story, as well as her home life, but there wasn't room. The part where Ryo told Will that their mom was dead was a fleshed out one that had been cut from Diminuendo's last chapter, but I thought it fit well with Ryo's story here. I hope you enjoyed this one!

Thanks for reading, and please review!

-N


	13. The Signal

**The Signal:**

"Carter." Rika said quietly, declaratively. Ryo was curious as to how she knew the boy's name, but the boy nodded.

"You look just like Cronus…" Ryo whispered. "Why?"

Carter frowned, looking to the ground, shaking his head. A few seconds of silence.

"What's the message?" Rika asked.

Carter looked at Rika for a second, but spoke to Ryo. "Right now, the Destroyer is organizing its forces to launch a direct attack on this city."

"What?" he and Rika both gasped. Will remained looking shocked, but said nothing.

Ryo eyed Carter suspiciously. He _looked_ human, but he was basically transparent. The fact that he was glowing didn't lend much to any belief that he might be considered _normal_—as if that word had any meaning at all in Ryo's life.

"The Destroyer…" Ryo started carefully. "Who is it?"

He needed to know if his suspicions of Cronus were correct. A name. That was all he wanted.

The boy said nothing.

"Answer me." Ryo said, slightly more aggressively.

"No." Carter replied simply. "You don't have time to not believe me, Ryo, not with everything that is at stake. There is a _battle_ coming, and it is going to make the D-Reaper look like child's play."

Ryo didn't flinch. "Why _now_?" he asked skeptically. "Why weren't we told this before?"

The boy looked shocked. "I—I have tried to…that is, I could not—" he stopped. "I never thought it would get this far. But please listen to me—and you must not tell the Circle of Telesto that I have told you this—they would surely kill you all if it my name was mentioned—but you must prepare for war."

"Wait, hold on." Rika stood up. "How are we supposed to prepare for this when we don't know where, when, or _what_ is coming?"

"An army." Carter replied. "It's coming, and it's going to come soon. That's all I know."

"No." Ryo said simply. "You know more."

Carter stared at him. "The Destroyer wants to kill you all. And by yourselves, you have no chance. Now, I do not know what exactly it is, or why it is doing this, but I _do_ know, that it can see everything you do, so that it can predict your next move before you even make it. All I can tell you is to get your friends back here, get Hyperion to organize its forces, and to use any available technologies from the real world, because they are your only hope of even _beginning_ to slow this attack down." He paused, as if waiting for Ryo to respond.

Ryo looked to Rika and Will, who both looked as impressed at Ryo for the honesty. "So winning this fight—that'll stop the Destroyer?"

"I am not sure about that, but I do know that this is the moment when things can go horribly wrong."

A flash, and the boy was gone.

* * *

Jeri tossed a twig into the fire, curiously watching it it ignite, its form darkening. She couldn't get to sleep after what happened, obviously. First she'd seen Leomon—well, she had _thought_ it was Leomon.

"Hey, I need to talk to you." She said quietly, glancing backwards to make sure the others didn't see.

Kazu looked confused. "What's up?"

"Ryo said that something's up with Cronus." Jeri said quickly, still quiet.

"…When you were sleeping." He added skeptically.

She sighed. Jeri wasn't sure how to explain it—she wasn't even sure if she believed it herself. How could she possibly prove something that she couldn't begin to understand?

"You don't believe me." She murmured aloud.

Kazu paused, scratching his head. "Wouldn't quite put it like that." He started. "Weirder things have happened, I guess. Besides, I don't know how you'd know anything about this Hyperion place."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"So what's this about Cronus, then?" Kazu asked.

Jeri's thought process had really gone astray, as the question took her off guard, when _she_ was the one who'd brought it up. "Right." She realized. "Ryo thinks he might be the Destroyer."

"What?"

"Shh!" she silenced him, barely putting her hand over his mouth. "He said that they did a scan there, and they found 'two consciousnesses' in Cronus, and that he might not even know it himself."

"Wait—so he's crazy?" Kazu looked doubtful.

Jeri tried to convince herself. "Maybe." She admitted. "In either case, we might not be safe until we get to Hyperion, and figure out how to get that Other-Him out of there. We don't know what's happening to him, and I don't think we can help him until we _do_ know."

She glanced over her shoulder. Cronus was hunched over, staring into the fire, expressionless.

"I feel so sorry for him." She confided. "He doesn't know who he is, and there's nobody that can quite understand what he's going through. Not exactly one thing or another."

Kazu met her eyes, which welled up with tears. She smiled weakly, wiping them away.

"And I guess this business with the Destroyer is pretty shitty too, huh?" he added.

She gave a small laugh. "Yeah. Pretty much."

Kazu bit his lip. "Hey, I was thinking…" he started.

"Really?" she gasped.

He shot her a look as she bit her own lip apologetically.

"The Destroyer's gotta have minions, right? I mean, what bad guy _doesn't_?" he asked curiously.

Jeri shrugged. "I guess."

"Well, I was thinking that we're gonna need all the help we can get fighting them, right? Guardromon said that Hyperion has an army, but what if it's not enough, you know?" he went on. "So I was thinking that if we could find a way to—I don't know—rally everyone together? Everyone that's on our side?"

Jeri wanted to nod, but didn't. "I like the idea, but how?"

Kazu sighed. "I don't think _that_ much." He admitted.

Jeri looked around for some inspiration. She was hoping for one of those chain-reaction thoughts, where thinking about a blade of grass makes her think of a million other things, and eventually to some brilliant plan. But she couldn't take her mind off of Cronus. Nobody was quite like him. Alone. Different. Special.

_Bingo._

Her jaw dropped as she realized the one solution to both of their dilemmas. She grinned at Kazu as she figured it out, hoping he would too, on his own. But she didn't give him much chance, as she'd already blurted it out.

"Calumon." She said simply. "His light made it all around the world once before, right? _And_ he's not quite a digimon _either_, so maybe he can help Cronus come to terms with some of what's happening to him?"

Kazu too, grinned. "You _so_ are just pretending to have thought about this just now."

"Am not." She shot back quickly. "Any idea how to find him?"

Her friend scratched his head once more. "I got nothing. But let's ask Guardromon."

* * *

Reed stepped into the room with the screen. Gigadramon was already there. The gigantic bastard was only a fraction of the size he usually occupied—probably some trick he had so that he could move through the halls without tearing them down, which Reed was fine enough with.

He'd thought it an amusing joke for the Destroyer to choose Gigadramon as one of his harbingers. Gigadramon looked strikingly similar to Megadramon—the _wrong_ Mega form of Guilmon. Aside from being pissed off about being temporarily replaced by him, Reed had actually found it a smart move—if he was the Destroyer himself, he'd probably have done the same thing.

"You're late." Gigadramon noted without a hint of condescension in his voice.

Reed shrugged, looking around. "Boss doesn't seem to be here yet."

"Then perhaps I'm just early." Gigadramon cooed. The bastard was creepy, Reed would give him that. At least with BlueMeramon, Reed knew what was going on inside his head. Gigadramon was harder to read, however. For all Reed knew, Gigadramon was planning on overthrowing the Destroyer himself. It would certainly keep Reed's work interesting.

Reed had recently bluffed his way out of trouble with the Destroyer—he'd convinced it that if Reed died, he'd have his power transferred to Ryo, along with information regarding the Guardian. It was mostly a lie, however. If Reed were killed, his power would be up for grabs by whoever knew how to access it—but the threat about the information was valid enough. Reed had kept a record of all his activities—a journal, detailing every action, every plan, every murder, every motivation. But he wasn't an idiot, so he'd kept it in the one place the Destroyer couldn't access it—the real world.

Only one person back in the real world knew the truth about what he was doing…his best friend—the only human being he could trust. He couldn't tell his family, or the rest of his friends. Not even _her_. This friend of his had agreed on helping—that if there was any chance on helping Carter, that he was in it until the end. Reed wouldn't let him come, however. Unlike Takato, Reed wasn't willing to put his loved ones at risk.

Perhaps that was why Reed had tried to remove Jeri and Ryo from the events by inducing a sleeping state. Reed _knew_ Ryo, regardless that Ryo no longer remembered Reed. Jeri, on the other hand, Reed wasn't sure about. She knew too much—she'd found a picture of Reed and Ryo; a picture that should have been destroyed. He just never expected anyone to locate it. He should have had her killed, but he didn't. She was closer to exposing Reed than he was comfortable with, but she didn't deserve to die. So he wanted to just put her to sleep. It should have worked, but it didn't, and somehow both she and Ryo were able to break free of it.

He'd expected that the Destroyer would have killed him on the spot for the failure, if he hadn't made the threat about what would happen upon his death. The threat wouldn't hold up forever, though. Sooner or later, the Destroyer would just kill Ryo, and then there would be no worry about where Reed's power went. He couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.

The screen flicked on. "You're both here."

_Ages ago._

"Yes, sir." Gigadramon replied, while Reed simply nodded. "How may we serve you?"

_Kiss-ass._

Reed smiled politely. The Destroyer knew Reed had attitude—it would appear _more_ suspicious if he behaved as subservient as Gigadramon did.

"The Tamers are trying to regroup." The Destroyer said.

"More importantly," Reed went on. "They're after the Catalyst."

"What is that?" Gigadramon asked.

Reed refrained himself from rolling his eyes. The Destroyer had just created Gigadramon a few days ago. Not quite born yesterday, but evidently not old enough to have any intelligence beyond what the Destroyer thought imminently important.

"A few years back, the Sovereign learned of the entity called the D-Reaper." Reed explained. "Fearing the danger, they sealed away the power of evolution, placing it into a single entity, which they called the Catalyst—but the Catalyst called itself Calumon. But when the Tamers and the Sovereign aligned themselves, they released Calumon's power, and every digimon that existed at the time evolved to fight the D-Reaper together. After the D-Reaper was defeated, the Tamer's partners and Calumon were returned here, and it lived peacefully—until it was detained shortly after the Destroyer woke up."

A good enough recap as any. Capturing Calumon was one of the first things Reed did in service of the Destroyer. It was a very peculiar digimon—no attacks whatsoever. Reed had to do his research on the Catalyst before he realized why the creature was so important.

"Thank you, Reed." The Destroyer said slowly, bored as it already knew all of that. "Where is it now?"

"One of your facilities, a few hours south of Thalami." Reed recalled. "They're actually close to it."

"Do they know where it is?" Gigadramon asked.

Reed shrugged, indicating the screen. "This communication is as secure as possible, but if a digimon of high enough complexity, such as a machine type—say, Guardromon? If he were—listening—hard enough, he could very well be listening in on us right now."

"I'll need them detained." The Destroyer ordered.

Gigadramon moved forward, volunteering. "I can do it."

"No deaths." Reed spoke sternly.

It turned to him. "Why is that?"

"When Leomon was killed, it forced Guilmon into a rapid process of evolving, and it gained considerable strength from it." Reed said. "If anyone is killed, we have to assume that it will have the same affect on Ryo and Rika's partners as well—not to mention the Circle of Telesto. Until we capture Hyperion, we have to consider the Circle as a threat."

"They're not so powerful." Gigadramon challenged.

"Perhaps not, but their influence is something to be reckoned with." Reed replied. "No deaths."

Reed and Gigadramon both glanced to the screen for some sign of approval for either side.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Gigadramon, but Reed is correct." The Destroyer ordered. "Gigadramon, order your forces to apprehend the Tamers. Reed, continue the preparations for the army to move on Hyperion."

Reed knew the other purpose of stopping the Tamers was for the Destroyer to extract itself from them. There wasn't actually much more work for Reed to do in preparing the army, it was ready for the Destroyer's word. Reed personally thought it would be wiser to launch the attack immediately, but it seemed Carter had warned Ryo of the attack. Reed took care not to mention that part to the Destroyer.

"What about the Catalyst?" Reed questioned.

"It is of no concern." The Destroyer replied. "Once the Tamers are captured, move them to the facility at Thalami."

Reed raised an eyebrow. "Is that really the best move?"

A snicker from the screen.

_Whatever._

* * *

"Calumon?" Henry repeated.

"Yeah." Jeri nodded again. "He could be a huge help."

Jeri and Kazu's idea hadn't been entirely well-received. Unfortunately, she couldn't explain to Henry that there was even more going on with Cronus than usual.

"I get that…" Henry stammered. "But do we have—_time_? I mean, just an hour ago you were saying that we had to hurry and rush to this 'capital' place—"

"I know that this is all so insane…" Jeri said quietly. "But we won't be able to carry Takato all the way there. We need either a more stable way to move him, or to get him back to the real world. Whichever's closer."

Henry looked back at her thoughtfully. She could tell that he was worried about their mutual friend, too. Henry would probably never have admitted it, but he was the type to get homesick. No matter how stressful life was in Shinjuku, it wasn't much more relaxing in the digital world.

All Jeri wanted to do was tell him about the suspicions around Cronus. But she couldn't. In the future she saw, Reed had told her that he had surveillance on most of her friends—he _must_ have had it on Henry. After all—it's _Henry._ Kazu was the most underestimated one of the group…she probably shouldn't even have been trusting him, but she had no choice. She couldn't do it alone.

"Alright." He agreed. "But let's wait 'til morning, okay?"

Jeri tried not to show her disappointment, but she didn't know what to say without sounding like a hypocrite. They were in a hurry. But they had to go way out of their way first.

_It's Cronus. We need to get Calumon. He might be able to stop the Destroyer. To stop Cronus._

"Uh, guys?" Kazu suddenly spoke up.

Jeri and Henry both turned to him, neither speaking.

"Guardromon says he knows where Calumon is."

* * *

The screen had two divisions in it this time—the Destroyer on the left, Gigadramon on the right.

"Approaching the targets." Gigadramon reported.

"Wait." Reed scratched his hand. "Don't take them to Thalami." He said.

"What?" the Destroyer and Gigadramon both asked.

He had to have waited until the last possible minute—so there wouldn't be enough time for them to think it through. It made them easier to manipulate.

"We're closer to Hyperion where we are—the raid on the city will pull most of our units away from Thalami. When that happens, they'll be virtually unattended."

"They're being _detained_." Gigadramon scoffed.

Reed looked to the Destroyer. "You should know better than the rest of us how resourceful they are."

A pause. "Very well." The Destroyer agreed. "Bring them here."

* * *

Jeri couldn't sleep, obviously. She was impressed, jealous, and maybe even a little offended that the others seemed able to. She was, of course, sitting next to Takato. He looked peaceful.

She shivered. _Peaceful_. She didn't like that word. However good its intentions were, it sounded like _dead_. A telltale sign that her life was too violent and dangerous for her own sanity. She sighed, resting her hand on his chest again, feeling it rise up and down with his shallow breath.

It wasn't the first time she'd seen Takato knocked out for such a long time. About a year back, he'd been hurt by that—_monster_ that had been chasing the Tamers. He'd been out for a few days, and Jeri recalled very clearly how worried she'd been in that time. Then again, she'd put Takato in the same position a short time later, when she'd accidentally been shot by a man who'd lost family from that monster. The man had blamed Takato and Yamaki, and would have shot them both if Jeri hadn't walked in and surprised him.

She moved a hand over her abdomen, feeling the small round scar. It had healed pretty well. Just like Takato would.

A look over to Cronus. He hadn't said much since bringing Takato back. It was like he wasn't even the same person who had left. She hadn't noticed anything be different about him since he'd gotten back to the digital world, but it had since become clear to her that he'd changed—she just wished she'd noticed it sooner, but she hadn't. None of them had.

Except maybe Takato.

He was the one in the group who knew Cronus best. Knew Guilmon best. Of _course_ it was Takato who would know—as a digimon, they'd been partners; and as a human, they'd lived together as family. Brothers.

Had Takato noticed, though? Had it been Cronus to do that to Takato? For knowing too much?

Ryo had told her there'd been two consciousnesses in Cronus, and one was apparently the Destroyer. But she hadn't given up on Cronus. The very fact that Takato was alive was testament enough that Guilmon was still in there somewhere.

A breeze passed, and it was enough to give Jeri a shiver. The fire danced slightly faster, and Jeri tossed a log on.

Guardromon had picked up some sort of transmission wave, but he said it was encrypted pretty heavily. If he made any mistake trying to decode it, he'd be erased. It was obviously too risky for him to try, but he was still able to get at the information on the surface of it. Calumon's location was right there. Turned out he'd been captured by some of the Destroyer's followers. Henry had been able to erase the information from Guardromon afterwards. It meant they didn't get any more information on the Destroyer, but Guardromon would be safe.

Another breeze. She wished she'd brought a sweater. Her neck was cold. She curled her toes. It wasn't a breeze.

She grabbed the last log from the ground and spun around quickly, brandishing it fiercely. What was there terrified her. She wasn't as knowledgable as Takato, Ryo, or Rika, but she was certain that it wasn't a normal digimon. About her height, it was jet black, stubby wings, an insect like face, with spikes sticking out all over. It snarled at her, three inch fangs dripping.

"Get away!" she shrieked, swinging the thick log as a club. Jeri heard her friends stir and get to their feet. The log hit its face hard, but it slashed her with a sickle-like arm, and she felt a stinging sensation down her cheek, burning hot as a thin stream of blood trickled down.

But she tripped, and in her horror she realized that it was another one behind her.

It was dark in the night, and she had no idea how many more were around, but there were at least a dozen. The one she'd tripped over climbed on top of her, growling as a putrid-smelling saliva dripped on her neck.

"Stop it!" she screamed as she struggled, managing to get one hand free, then using it to push the creature off of her. As she climbed to her feet, she saw that Kazu, too, was successfully breaking free, while Henry, Takato, and Cronus were all unconscious. Guardromon was batting them away as best as he could, but there were _hundreds_ of them approaching.

Three of them climbed on Takato.

"Get _off of him_!" she shouted as she approached, shoving one off, kicking the second, and attempting to kick the third before it grabbed her foot and threw her to the ground, soon climbing on top of her. It stared her in the eye and opened its mouth, hissing, fangs gleaming.

A loud _clunk_ as a piece of wood cracked against the side of its head, and Kazu pulled Jeri to her feet. "We gotta get out of here." He said, uneasy.

"But the others—"

"Jeri, we can't do anything right now, we gotta regroup, get Rika and Ryo, and then we can go after them."

By then Guardromon had come over, keeping the agents away from them, but Jeri still wasn't sure. She glanced from Takato to Kazu.

He glared at her. "Don't think I won't knock you out and carry you away from here myself."

She was shocked, but she believed him. Part of her knew he was right, and she nodded. "Just a second." She whispered.

Jeri charged towards Takato, using her speed to shove an agent off of him, and she managed to send it surprisingly far. She grabbed Takato's backpack, which was next to him. She stared into his unconscious face for a split second before his mouth moved and she thought she heard a sound.

It sounded like '_run_'. She did.

* * *

"So what do we think?" Ryo asked, turning to his friends.

Carter had disappeared, leaving everyone more or less lost and confused. He'd told them that the Destroyer's army was preparing itself, and that Hyperion, too, needed to be ready. But the kicker was that Carter warned them _not_ to tell the Circle exactly who the information had come from. He'd said that if they'd mentioned his name, they would kill them all. The Circle. The people _on his side_. Could the Circle possibly be a danger to them…?

Rika sighed. "I don't know…he led me to Giz…_and_ to protect Will, and he led you to those prophecies…so maybe…?" she trailed off.

A moment of silence. Giz and Renamon weren't in the room, so it was just the three humans. Ryo was leaning against the wall. Rika and Will were both sitting at a small round table; Rika looking at Ryo, Will looking at his hands on the table. Ryo looked to the boy.

"What do you think about all this?" Ryo asked him.

Will looked up, surprised that both Ryo and Rika were looking at him. "Oh, uh…" he stammered. "I don't see why the Circle wouldn't at least _prepare_ for an attack, right? I mean, they know the Destroyer's _out_ there somewhere, so I think they'd believe it would attack eventually."

Ryo fumbled with his hands. "Well, the problem is that for them to prepare for battle, they'd have to call back the reinforcements they've sent out to all the _other_ cities. To protect Hyperion, they'd have to sacrifice several other cities."

"Oh…" Will said, looking back down again.

Rika spoke next. "I can't explain it, but I—" she started awkwardly. "I just have this—_feeling_ that there's something important here. I don't know how or why, but—do you feel it to?"

"I don't know." Ryo sighed. "This place is far more advanced than anything else I've seen in this world…it's got the inhabitants cooperating, no crime, no disputes, the rulers all care about them…if the Destroyer crushes this place, it would be crushing the very best that this world can create."

"So then we can't put it in any more risk than it's already in, right?" Will sounded slightly more confidant than he usually did. "We tell the Circle to prepare, then?"

Ryo thought about it. "I think Wisemon's the only one we'd be able to count on for support."

"So what do we do, then?" Rika asked.

He sighed. "I guess we try anyways."

* * *

Reed walked into a large circular room—though he'd had the light adjusted in it so one wouldn't be able to tell how big the room really was, or what shape, for that matter.

The light simply shone down on the very center of the room, which was a stone table. He'd had several of the rooms put together. The table was about three feet wide, six long. About the size for a human body to lay on top of.

There were no straps on that particular table. The room Reed was in was for Takato. He would die within a few hours if he wasn't brought in.

The Tamers were having suspicions about Cronus, not that it mattered. They were even starting to blame Takato's injuries—the ones Reed himself had inflicted on him—on Cronus. Just as well.

He had the chemicals he needed to heal Takato. Reed had tried to convince Cronus to come with him—to control his power. He'd refused, and in all likelihood would be destroyed by it.

Reed exhaled slowly. Things had changed. A few months back, he'd have never expected to be where he was. Capturing innocents. Torturing. Reed—Herald of the Destroyer.

He turned to one of the Destroyer's minions. "Have my equipment brought in immediately. Then have Takato brought here as soon has he's on the premises."

* * *

Ryo was in a meeting hall with the Circle—Rika and Will were there, too, as were Renamon and Giz. Ryo had wondered why they were called the Circle, when there were only four of them. He supposed that 'The Square of Telesto' didn't quite work the same way, but Renamon—quite harshly—told him that the fifth member was recently killed. It had been a Gaogamon—like the one Ryo himself had killed when they first got back to the digital world. The one he'd killed for attacking Cronus—for attacking the Destroyer.

They were discussing the information that he, Rika, and Will had learned. As Carter had told them, they didn't mention him. It made the argument difficult, especially because it made Ryo himself suspicious of Carter's intentions. Grademon and Cerberumon were in charge of the city's defense, so they were the ones they had to convince. Rika was doing most of the talking, which Ryo was grateful for.

"We're just saying—" Rika sighed. "If this source is true, then we're in some _very_ deep trouble. We _have_ to be prepared."

Grademon looked them all over once more. "But we _don't _ know if this is some sort of trick—rally up all our forces and then wipe them out in one blow—do you know what would happen if we were to recall our units from Sarian? They'd be exposed again—instantly vulnerable to another attack."

"I know." She said softly. "But here's what we _do_ know. The only thing the Destroyer fears is this 'Guardian' that you won't tell us anything about. But since everyone knows that _you_ know where it is, the Destroyer _will_ come here, after you. Even if you all leave, it'll burn the city to the ground, either looking for you, or to send you a message. Please—we _have_ to be prepared."

Ryo made eye contact with Wisemon. He was definitely one of the nicer members. Wisemon had spent a good deal of time with Will, who told Ryo that Wisemon was the Circle's main diplomat. He was their Jeri. Non-threatening, nice, and had a way with words. Wisemon suddenly glanced away from Ryo to who was standing beside him.

Wisemon spoke up. "Perhaps you have some insight that might be valuable, little one?"

Giz nodded as he took a few steps forward. "I was there when Sarian was attacked." He said simply. "The organization of the Destroyer's forces was phenomenal. More importantly were the numbers. If the army that's going to attack here is even larger than the one that attacked Sarian—and I believe it will be—then the preparations can't be left to the last minute."

_Well said._

They looked to be considering it. Meteormon had remained silent, but just watched and listened to whoever spoke.

It was a long silence. Will broke it. "What about some kind of scan?"

Wisemon sighed. "I'm afraid we don't have anything resembling that type of equipment. And I don't believe that even _you_ would be able to construct one in time from the most basic of components."

"Oh…" Will frowned.

Ryo bit his lip. "Does the city itself have any defenses other than the inhabitants? Stationary weapons, that sort of thing?"

Cerberumon nodded two of its three heads "Some, but not many. The rest have either grown unusable over time, or were dispatched to Sarian following its attack."

"There is a generator that's supposed to power a shield…" Meteormon suggested.

Wisemon shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend using that. It can't be sustained for long periods of time, and even if it could, the Destroyer's forces would just surround us and wait us out."

Rika tried pushing Grademon again. "Your own defense is just as important as Sarian's, maybe even more. The army you have here is supposed to be the largest and best-trained one in the world. It _needs_ to be at full power when the Destroyer gets here—you can't chance your safety on the impossibility that the Destroyer will be underprepared."

Ryo tried not to sigh visibly. The discussion just wasn't going anywhere. They couldn't prove the army existed without some sort of scanner. Grademon wouldn't rally their forces until they had reason to believe it was absolutely necessary. Ryo knew that Wisemon was at least on their side, and maybe even Cerberumon and Meteormon, too. With two or three members of the Circle—not to mention the support that Giz could get from his friends in the city itself…

"I'm sorry." Grademon shook his head. "But there just isn't enough information to move on."

Rika met Ryo's eye, and gave a weak, frustrated smile. He nodded back. She tried her best, and it was better than Ryo could have done. They needed a plan, however, and they needed it fast. Ryo would go with Will the next time he went to help Wisemon with something.

"Rika!" a high-pitched voice called. Ryo and everyone turned to the door, and saw Calumon skipping towards them excitedly. Behind him was Jeri, who walked quickly but calmly. Her face had some dirt and bruises on it, a shallow cut down her cheek. But the most curious thing was that, aside from Calumon, she was _alone_.

"Jeri…?" he asked.

"Catalyst…" Grademon said quietly.

"Where is everyone…?" Ryo asked quietly, not sure if he was ready for the answer.

She didn't give it, but only shook her head. She looked to the Circle. "You have four days, and then they will be _everywhere_."

* * *

Yeah, I know, not my best work. I didn't want this chapter to be as long as the last ones, and it probably would have been if I didn't cut out what happened in the Calumon-rescue scenario. This chapter was originally meant to be two separate ones (one of which was supposed to be mainly the Cronus-Destroyer) conversation from a few back, the other the Calumon one). Ah, well. The parts I cut out of the Calumon part of the story will be recapped briefly at the beginning of the next chapter. Basically, including it in this chapter would have added way too much material, and things have already been distracting from the main story, so the next one's gonna get everything back on track.

The next update will have three chapters uploaded at once…Chapter 14's smallish, 15 is average, and 16 is big, but the group of them will cover from what happens next until the end of the battle. I'm PRETTY sure I'm going to go 'til 22, since 16 was so much fun to write (that and I've already written 21 and 22). Actually, count on at least 23, since 22 has a badass cliffhanger.

Thanks!

-N


	14. The Calm

Three part-er time!

But first, here's a timeline of everything important to this part of the story so far:

Flux **Chapter 9**—_Journey's End_: Guilmon chooses to stay as Cronus

Code Carter **Chapter 1**—_Prologue_: Takato is hesitant to bring Cronus back to the digital world since they don't know what will happen to him.

**Chapter 2**—_Sarian_—at the forest city, Sarian, Cronus and Ryo are attacked by Gaogamon, later implied to have been the leader of the Hyperion city. The village was attacked, but the only digimon taken was one Ryo knew, named Giz.

**Chapter 3**—_Freedom To Choose_—the Tamers meet Reed, a young man who tries to trade the Tamers for "him". Also, the Tamers learn of the existence of something called The Destroyer.

**Chapter 4**—_Tummy Aches_—Rika and Henry fall ill, and the only way to save them is to let an entire village die. Not forcing Ryo to make the choice, Cronus saves the two himself, and the villagers die.

**Chapter 5**—_Time Lapse_—Jeri is sent to the future that the digital world has predicted; where the worlds have both been destroyed. She sees Reed in that future, who helps her get back, after giving her coordinates of where to look to 'stop everything'.

**Chapter 6**—_Something To Say_—Rika dreams of a little boy named Carter, who bears a striking resemblance to Cronus. Nobody else seems to see him, but he leads her to Giz, the digimon that they'd been looking for.

**Chapter 7**—_What You Have To Do_—Giz explains that he was taken because they thought he might know where the Sovereign are. The Destroyer is trying to kill them to break down the barrier that separates both worlds. The team splits up, with Takato and Cronus following the only real lead.

**Chapter 8**—_Prophecies_—Ryo sees Carter—as Rika did—and he leads Ryo to find some information on the Destroyer that declare it will kill one of the Tamers.

**Chapter 9**—_The Man Behind The Curtain_—Takato and Cronus find the third Sovereign, but Reed kills it and absorbs its data. He explains that Cronus's digital and human sides are conflicting, and that it will eventually kill him if he falls to far to the human side. Reed attacks Takato, dislocating Takato's arm in the process. As he is about to finish him off, he is distracted by Carter, and Cronus knocks Reed out and carries Takato away.

**Chapter 10**—_Tracked Down_—Rika and Renamon go to the capital, Hyperion, where they learn the Destroyer has been captured. Rika sees that they actually have Will, and she saves him.

**Chapter 11**—_Growing Up_—Reed sends Ryo to the capital to save Rika from an agent sent by the Destroyer, which he does. The prophecies are translated again, this time saying that the Destroyer is actually going to _be_ one of the Tamers, with all signs pointing to Cronus. Rika and Ryo are together: Huzzah!

**Chapter 12**—_Haunted_—Jeri and Ryo relive the grief in their pasts, and Ryo warns Jeri about Cronus.

**Chapter 13**—_The Signal_—After learning about the two different consciousnesses in Cronus, Jeri thinks that he might be able to force the Destroyer out of himself if he can come to terms with what he is. She tries to find Calumon to help in the task, but Takato, Henry, and Cronus are captured, while only Jeri and Kazu escape. Only Jeri and Calumon make it to Hyperion.

Okay. So Takato, Henry, and Cronus have been captured; Kazu is MIA, and Jeri, Rika, Ryo and Will are in Hyperion. Everything above pretty much ties into the next three chapters here.

And in response to BabyDark's question, yeah, Ryo's dad moved elsewhere after Ryo took off to America between Crescendo and Diminuendo. I don't have any actual plans of having him in the story, but his not-being-there gives some room for Ryo to grow up a little since he has Will as his responsibility.

Thanks for reading so far into this, I hope you'll enjoy. Review if you can!

-N

* * *

"We can get out from here!" Calumon exclaimed. "I used to use this tunnel all the time to hide from—"

"Where's the key?" Kazu asked, staring down at the grate.

"Key?" Calumon repeated, confused. The little white digimon looked down at the lock, and then back up to Kazu and Jeri. He was shocked. "Who put this there?"

"Damn it." Kazu muttered.

Jeri examined the lock on it. It was a padlock, but it was nearly rusted through. "Maybe we can break it." She suggested. It wasn't especially thick, but they were in the digital world, so it was possible that it was extra-strong. However, it could even have been really weak.

Guardromon shook his head. "I'm afraid none of my attacks can be used in here—it's too confined."

"It'd make a whole lot of noise, too." Kazu noted. "Calumon, is it easy to hide in there?"

Their friend shook his head. "No, it's just a straight tunnel, and there's a lot of light, too."

_Crap._

Kazu pulled his sleeve over his hand—protecting it from the rust—and he gripped the lock hard. Jeri glanced back and forth from the entrance to her friend.

Noise, and they all instinctively froze. It was a different kind of noise than all those creatures running around, though, it was voices among them.

"Where'd they go?" one asked.

"Keep sweeping the area!" another shouted. "We _need_ the Catalyst."

"We've already have everything we need, anyways." The first said. "Hyperion won't stand a chance."

_They're gonna attack Hyperion…_

"That's true, just four days left." The second agreed. "But the boss'll be mad if we don't take them out here and now."

The rest she couldn't distinguish from the noise, and there wasn't anything from there on she could make any sense of.

_Four days?_

Jeri shot a look to Kazu, who she knew was processing those same two words. They had to get to Hyperion _fast_. She was holding Calumon close to her with one hand, and was gripping Yamaki's scanner in the other. She was barely breathing, trying not to make the slightest noise. There wasn't much light in the dead-end tunnel they were in, but she knew the Destroyer's agents would be able to see them if they looked in.

She watched as Kazu carefully worked on the lock. Jeri knew he was trying to do it as quietly as he could. His face was twisted, but the lock wouldn't budge. Kazu didn't look at her, but looked at Guardromon.

Jeri was confused, but her attention was turned to the increasing noise right outside the tunnel. "They're coming." She whispered.

Kazu nodded sadly. He finally looked at her. "I'm sorry."

_What…?_

She looked him in the eye as he spoke. "I believe in _all_ of you. Don't ever give up."

"Kazu…"

The brown-haired teenager nodded to Guardromon, who ripped the lock off, a loud metal _clank_ echoing repeatedly through the tunnel. With the other hand, Guardromon pulled the grate off, and then scooped Jeri and Calumon down into it. Jeri landed hard on her hands and knees, but looked back up, her face still filled with astonishment. Kazu glanced down at them, and nodded as Guardromon jammed the grate back down, forcing it to fit in the hole, blocking anything else from coming after them.

But in an instant Kazu was gone, and she heard him rush out of the tunnel, Guardromon following loudly. "Hey, come and get me!" he screamed angrily.

The tears were streaming down her face. She actually had to cover her mouth to stop herself from screaming, but she still let out a whimper as Calumon forced his way out of her grip, looking up at her. "We gotta run, Jeri!" he whispered loudly. "We gotta go tell the others!"

* * *

Ryo watched as Jeri wiped a tear away from her face as she shook her head. They had left the hall with the Circle, and had returned to one of the adjacent rooms for some privacy. She clearly didn't know where to begin. "Kazu—he gave himself up so that Calumon and I could get away."

"What…?" Rika whispered.

"But before that," Jeri went on, with a bit more confidence. "But before that, we heard the Destroyer's—_things_ talking. The army is coming, and it's coming _soon_."

"What about the others?" Ryo asked. The pained expression came to her face as quickly as Ryo had expected it to. He knew enough to know that it was a sensitive thing to ask—but he needed to know."

She didn't say anything for several seconds, but started crying again.

"Jeri, what happened to you?" Ryo spoke up.

Jeri's lip quivered, and Ryo took a step forward, and gently put a hand on her shoulder. Her face sank further, and he gently lifted her chin with three fingers, and when he looked into her eyes he could barely see past the tears.

"The Destroyer…it—" Jeri whimpered, finally breaking. "It took Takato, Henry, and Cronus, and I'm afraid it's going to—"

"If it wanted to kill them it would have…" Rika spoke up, interrupting. "It doesn't make sense why it would take them and _then_ kill them. They're all too valuable, it must know that."

Ryo turned back to Jeri, who nodded slowly as he dropped his hand from her shoulder. Her gaze met his. "But it's—it's more than that."

He didn't know what to say, and so he just waited for her to go ahead.

"Takato…" she started. "his arm was broken, and he was beat up really badly."

"Henry thought it looked like he might be bleeding internally, but we didn't have any way to treat him, and if we don't get to him to help him soon, he might die."

He again looked to Rika, who had her mouth covered with one hand, eyes tearing up. He looked back to Jeri, who was looking at him hopefully.

"Please, Ryo." She begged. "We have to save him."

He nodded. "We will." He nodded and headed past her. If he was going to find Takato before all hell broke loose, he'd need Giz hitting up every contact he had, and he'd need Will working with Giz to figure out what the interest in Takato and Henry was.

"Ryo, there's something else." Jeri called. He stopped, and looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"Remember that data spike I was supposed to use, but I knew was overflowing with data, and not short of it?"

"Yeah, I remember." Ryo nodded. In fact, he remembered that she'd been acting strangely since it.

"This is going to sound insane to you, but the first time I _didn't_ know to remove the excess data, and it sent me somewhere."

"The _first_ time?" Rika repeated, confused.

Jeri inhaled deeply. "I was sent to a future that the digital world predicted based on what was happening and where things were headed. In it, the walls between the worlds broke down, and the Destroyer had put both worlds in ruin."

Ryo wasn't quite sure what to think about what she was saying. It was pretty far-fetched, but he realized that everything about his own life was unbelievable as well, so he didn't reject her claims.

"In that future, I met Reed, and he gave me a piece of paper." Jeri said, reaching into her pocket, presenting what she spoke of, handing it to him. "This. They're coordinates. He said that if I went there, then everything could be different, that we could create a future we all want."

Ryo looked at the numbers as he unfolded the paper. He recognized the format of them as being a location in the digital world, but even he wasn't experienced enough in the world to know what was there by looking at them.

"Well I went there, Ryo." Jeri went on. "And I found something—a connection. Between Reed, Cronus, and yourself."

_What?_

Ryo's eyebrow raised itself before he got the chance to. "What are you talking about?"

Jeri reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small stack of paper. Photographs. There were four. She sorted through the pile, and passed him the one that had been at the bottom. He looked at _her_ before he looked at the picture, but his jaw dropped when he saw it. It was him. And standing next to him was Reed.

"What—where did you find this?"

Jeri took a deep breath. "A destroyed village, a ways south-west of here. There wasn't much left, but I found this. Ryo, this is _two years ago_. And look at your clothes in it. Your hair. _You_. You were with Reed just a few days before you met up with us on our first trip here."

He stopped looking at the picture, but stared hard at her. "I don't know Reed."

Jeri nodded. "No, but you _did_. Back then. When I talked to him in that—_future_, he said that 'you and him went way back'. But he never told me how. All he said was that there was a 'reason you don't remember'."

Rika had approached and taken the picture out of Ryo's hand. She too stared at is as intently as Ryo himself had. Ryo suddenly recalled what Reed had told him a while back—when he'd told Ryo to get to Hyperion, and to save Rika. He'd asked Ryo what he _remembered_. Ryo had just thought Reed was insane…

"Okay." Rika interrupted the silence. "So this explains the Ryo-Reed connection…" she trailed off.

"No it doesn't." Ryo grunted, staring at the photo again. Maybe it was fake. "I _don't know _Reed. I've never seen this picture before, and I don't exactly recall smiling and posing for it."

Rika ignored him. "Where does Cronus tie into this?"

Jeri handed another photo forward. Ryo took it, trying to hide his frustration that his friends were suspicious of him. He looked at the picture. Reed, next to a playground's slide, grinning. Carter was at the top of it.

"This boy's name is Carter." Jeri explained.

"We've met." Ryo and Rika both mumbled.

She looked at the two of them curiously. Rika fielded the answer. "He's sort of been—_appearing_. He told me to come here to save Will, and just before you got here he told us to prepare an army to fight the Destroyer."

Jeri mouthed the word "what", but Ryo didn't actually hear any sound come out. Apparently she, too, was trying to put some of the pieces together.

"Do you know who he is?" Rika asked.

Jeri shook her head. "No. But this girl, the one with the brown hair? You can see her again in the background of this one." Jeri indicated the picture of Reed and Carter. She looked at Ryo. "So it's probably you who's taking the picture."

Ryo's first thought was that the photographs were fake. But he had no reason to believe they weren't. After everything he'd seen—everything he'd experienced—the idea that something happened that he didn't remember…he had to consider it a possibility.

"I know this is hard, Ryo, but we've got to put this aside for now and focus on what's at hand."

_Cronus._

* * *

Ryo had been talking to Rika in his room. They'd been throwing ideas around about how to convince the Circle to fight, when the door opened.

Will sat down on the couch quickly, a loud _flop_ sound coming from the fabric. Will's face was red and his arms were crossed. He looked like he might explode.

"You alright?" Ryo asked carefully.

"Grademon and Cerberumon yelled at me." He muttered. "They don't want me to help analyze Calumon because they think I'll tamper with the data in there."

"So they haven't made any progress, huh?"

Will shook his head, sighing. "If they have, I don't think they'd tell me."

Rika nodded slowly before she headed towards the door.

"Hey, where you going?" Ryo called after her, though she was already out of the room.

"Be back in a minute." She called back.

Ryo's mouth opened to ask another question, but he knew there wasn't any point. Rika could take care of herself, so he didn't have to worry. Immediately, anyways.

"How are you, anyways?" Will suddenly asked.

Ryo had to think about it. "Okay, I think."

"Ah." Will nodded.

Ryo looked at the floor for a few seconds, and then to his brother. "Can you keep a secret?"

Will sat up, straightening his back. "Of course."

"I'm scared." Ryo admitted.

The boy looked almost shocked. "No you're not." He asserted. A pause. "Really?"

Ryo nodded. "That so unbelievable?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Will admitted.

Ryo smiled weakly. That guy actually looked up to him.

"Well, what are you scared about?"

Ryo shrugged a little. "Lots of stuff, I guess."

"Come on, be just a _bit_ more vague?" Will asked sarcastically.

Ryo thought about it. "I'm scared that this is gonna be the end."

"The end?" Will asked. "Of what?"

"Everything we're supposed to be doing here. Fixing those disturbances, saving lives, saving Hyperion, saving the world—I'm scared that it's going to end before it's finished. Know what I mean?"

Ryo wasn't good at explaining things sometimes. "I have done this for _years_, and this is the first time I've actually felt lost. And now I find out that there's things I've experienced that I don't even remember? I mean, what kind of sick joke is that? Two years ago I was working with _Reed_. The bad guy."

Will seemed to hesitate, thinking. Ryo appreciated it—he was actually thinking about it, rather than just give some instinctive, comforting explanation.

"Way I see it…" Will started. "is that it shouldn't have any weight on what you're doing now. You're on a journey, and like you said, the end is probably getting close…but journey's aren't usually about the destination, right? Even if you were a bad guy…even if you were the most heinous monster in this world—for the record, you definitely _weren't_—it doesn't matter. 'Cause close-up, here, these people need your help."

Ryo let it sink in before he smiled softly. "Not bad."

Will smiled back, and a moment of silence passed between the two. "Anything else?" He asked.

_Oh, yeah, we're related._

"Plenty," Ryo admitted. "But I should probably be getting back to work. Rika wanted to spar—where'd she go, anyways?"

"Okay, well…" Will started, either not hearing or not knowing the answer to his question. "I better go find Giz. He had some things he wanted me to look over."

Ryo stopped. "What kinds of things?"

The boy shrugged. "Probably wants me to explain some real-world technology. Carter said that was important, remember?"

Ryo'd almost forgotten, and it was only a few hours ago. So much was happening; Ryo was getting a headache. But there wasn't time to relax. Not yet.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but this isn't my jurisdiction." Wisemon sighed. Rika hadn't actually said anything, as she'd just walked into the room. But Wisemon apparently knew what she was going to ask. At least it would make the conversation move quicker.

Of the four members of the Circle, Rika liked Wisemon best. He seemed to be the most understanding towards humans—she had no doubt that if he wasn't a member of the Circle, she, Ryo, Will—and now Jeri—wouldn't have been given those beautiful rooms to stay in.

"Come _on_," Rika insisted. "you're the diplomat; let's at least talk about it."

"Believe me, Rika, I'm on your side." He assured her. "I've spent enough time with you all to believe you. But that's precisely why the others won't listen to me. They believe I'm too bias for my judgment to be trusted."

Rika smiled a little. "I'm sorry if we're the cause of any hostilities between all of you. We're very grateful for everything you've done."

If Wisemon had any sort of face underneath that hood, Rika was certain it would look distraught.

"They haven't been able to extract any information from Calumon data-wise, aside from his own testimony. He was made from the Sovereign—he's much more complex than he seems."

"The Sovereign…" Rika murmured.

"This is the kind of situation in which we'd consult them…"

Rika bit her lip. "Does it mean anything to Grademon and Cerberumon that they're being killed?"

Wisemon shrugged. "Plenty, but as far as they're concerned, they're just rumors…digital life doesn't leave behind any evidence that a creature was ever there, so distinguishing 'dead' from 'missing', or even from 'hiding' can prove very challenging."

Rika paused. "What if we tried talking to the officials at the other cities? There's _got_ to be a way we can go around Grademon and Cerberumon."

Wisemon tilted his head. "Such an act would be…"

"If we don't do something, you all won't have a city left to govern. We're running out of time."

She stared at Wisemon for what felt like a very long time, before he finally nodded. "Alright, I'll try again."

* * *

Will looked at the communicator Jeri had brought back. It was about six inches by another six, with a circular screen in the center, which was off. None of the buttons were labeled—or if they _had_ labels, they'd been worn off.

Giz had asked Will to look at it with him, but the digimon was apparently running late.

A moment of silence as the song he listened to on Rika's mp3 player changed. That girl had some strange taste in music—but Will was grateful for anything, because he worked much better with music.

_How the hell do you turn this thing on?_

He tried hitting a few combinations of the buttons. Nothing. He tried holding them in. Nothing.

_Batteries?_

There was a panel on the back, with a small rectangular hole which he assumed would pop the back off.

He stood up to go find a screwdriver, bringing the device with him. He headed towards the door, still trying to get the machine working. But as he approached the door, it opened on its own—swinging towards him, and it knocked the device right out of his hand, the door swinging just in front of his face.

His jaw dropped as it fell to the floor and the back panel breaking off, Giz standing in the now-opened doorway, looking confused.

"Oh, Will, I'm so sorry—" Giz stammered.

"No." Will hushed him. The machine turned on, and a static-y noise was coming from it. From its back, wires were exposed, but they were all intact. The screen lit up. "I think you fixed it."

He knelt down and picked the machine up, as the image became clearer, a human shape taking form on it. A woman. Probably early thirties. She was pretty, and she had red hair. A really _red_-red, like Jeri's.

"Hello?" she said, Will nearly jumping at the sound of her voice.

"H—hello." Will stammered. "Who is this?"

"Hang on," the woman told him. "I can't get a visual, let me try and clean up the signal."

Will's heart was racing, but he put the device down for a second to mess up his hair. It made him look younger, and he knew he might have to play it up as an innocent kid. He picked it back up.

"Okay, that's better. This is Riley." She replied politely. "Who are you?"

"My n—my name is Steven." He lied.

"Steven who?"

"Donovon, sorry." Will answered. He saw Giz giving him a look, but if this Riley could see and hear him, he couldn't explain it to him right then. Riley was wearing a suit with the Hypnos logo on it. Will had broken into their systems to get to the digital world, and he didn't want them tracing that to him. He felt bad about lying to her, though. She seemed nice.

"Okay, Steven Donovon," she went on. "Is it okay if I ask how you came across this equipment?"

Will froze, trying to think of an answer. "I've been trying to get it to work for a while now, and…" he said coolly, hoping it wasn't obvious he was trying to stall for time.

"Yes, unfortunately the communicator function is unreliable at best."

_Cool._

"A boy named Ryo gave it to me a few days ago." Will declared. "He sent me this way hoping it might work at this location. He told me to use it to talk to Hippos and get some information for him."

"_Hyp-nos_," Riley articulated. "And what kind of information? Is Ryo alright?"

"Yes, but he wanted you to look up history of the digital world, specifically something that calls itself 'The Destroyer'."

Will knew he had to be careful. From what Ryo and the others told him, if Hypnos knew about the Destroyer's army, they'd probably wait for it to hit Hyperion and then blow up the whole city. This 'Riley' girl seemed nice enough, though. She seemed to actually care about them. In any case, he had to be cautious. Tactical.

"Why?"

_Darn._

"I don't know for sure, but he mentioned something about 'data spikes'. That mean anything to you?"

"Yeah, just a second."

There was a pause. Will tried to get further onto her good side. "He said it was important to stopping 'the disturbances', too. Maybe it has something to do with the cause of them?"

"Sounds like a possibility." Riley said slowly, clearly paying more attention to her monitors than to him. Fine by Will.

"Okay, found something." Riley said. "I'm seeing a reference to a long time ago, a digimon that was called 'The Destroyer' by the life forms at the time. It looks like—Armageddemon was its original name—wow, looks like this thing really did some damage in its time."

_Armageddemon. Sounds friendly._

"Mega-level." Riley continued. "But if it did as much damage as the records say, then it's got a lot more power than your typical mega."

"Uh, okay." Will said hesitantly. "If we see it, how can we fight it?"

"I honestly have no idea." She frowned before looking back to the screen.

"Anything else about it?" he asked hopefully.

"Uh, yeah, I see a related article here, but it's small." She said slowly as she opened it up. "Mm, no, it looks like an excerpt from some lore about it. It says that the Destroyer will have 'three harbingers' who will guard it during its weakened state."

Will blinked.

_Three harbingers…that's like a herald, right? Okay, one would be Reed, the second was that Blue-something that was after Rika…who's the third?_

Perhaps Will was reading into it too much. Riley didn't seem to think it that important.

"It's okay." Will assured her. "The name might be helpful. Hey, can you look up a few more things for me?"

She hesitated. "I don't know, I probably shouldn't be breaking protocol by even talking to you without one of our original crew there with you."

Will readied himself. "Please? Ryo gave me this machine to talk to you, but I don't know where he went off to, or when I'll see him again." He lied, trying to sound as worried as he could. "He just told me it was really, really important that I find out as much information as I can, and that you guys were the only ones who might be able to help."

It took a moment before Riley finally nodded. "Okay, Steven, it's okay." She assured him. "Shoot."

"Thank you." He smiled. "Try searching up 'Guardian."

"Seventeen hits." Riley informed him. Will frowned.

"Capital 'G'."

"Just one, now." Riley replied. "The fifth Sovereign, also called the Guardian: Fanglongmon. Based off of the Chinese Ssu Ling as the other Sovereign are. Never actually seen, but it mentions that it once helped defeat a great evil. Think that's your Destroyer?"

"Maybe…does it say where it is?"

A beat. "No. Nothing about location, just the mythology. It's revered as holy, by the digital world's inhabitants. From the sound of things, many wouldn't take too kindly to humans even talking about it, let alone finding it and ordering it around."

"Alright. Try searching 'Cronus'."

She ran the search. "He's one of the people on the team with Ryo, but that's about all I can tell you about him. This is the first time he's been in the digital world doing a job for us, so he's not exactly prominent in our records."

"That's okay." Will said thoughtfully. "Nothing about his activities here before?"

Another moment. "Nope. Nothing."

"What about the name 'Reed'?"

"No hits." She replied.

"Rats."

"I really shouldn't be doing this." Riley sounded nervous.

"W-wait, please, just one more search." Will insisted, trying to sound scared again.

"Well, alright, but let's hurry, okay?"

"Okay." He smiled for her, but just for a second. "Try searching 'Carter'."

He heard a single, low beep from her end.

"Confidential." She said, sounding as shocked as Will felt. She looked at him curiously.

Will quickly tried to recall the wires on the back of the device as he'd seen them when he'd glanced at it a few minutes earlier. He felt around them.

_Red. Green. Blue—no, this one would have been green, the other one would have been blue…_

He felt one that he remembered being the single yellow wire, and squeezed it. The screen started to be taken over by static.

"What's happening?" she asked.

Will tried to look panicked. "Ryo said that him and Rika were fighting and this thing got caught in the middle of it. I'm good with machines, if you send me the schematics I should be able to get it working again."

If he could get the blueprints for that thing, he might be able to make something else. The one that Hypnos had given the Tamers located disturbances. Will could probably reprogram it to locate anything. He'd seen things similar to computer screens around the city, too.

"Please, I don't know how much time before it breaks up for good."

"Alright." She finally agreed. She hit a few buttons, and Will saw a window pop up on the screen, overtop of Riley's right shoulder. "Please have Ryo, or one of his friends contact me as soon as you hear from them, okay?"

"Okay, just don't tell anyone about the 'Carter' search." Will told her, still pulling at the antennae wire to cause more static.

She looked shocked. "What? Why not?"

"Because if you do, the Destroyer will access your systems, and—" he pulled the yellow wire loose mid-sentence, and the static replaced Riley, the schematics popping up.

All the while, Giz had been looking at him curiously. Will handed him the yellow wire. "Antennae." Will explained.

Giz still stared at him. "What was that all about?"

Will turned the device to Giz, showing him the blueprints of the device with one hand, patting his hair back down with the other. "Wanna help me build something?"

* * *

"You're hesitating." Ryo declared as he ducked Rika's punch. She tried to kick him in the side, but he saw it coming, and kicked her foot away. "Too obvious."

It had been Rika's own idea—Ryo was trying to teach her how to fight. Ryo had been enough situations where he'd had to fight hand-to-hand. And if the Circle wasn't going to help them fight, they had to be ready for anything.

She breathed heavily through grit teeth, before sending a punch aimed at Ryo's chest, towards his shoulder. It hit, but Ryo had turned away slightly, so it hadn't been as forceful as she'd hoped.

"How'd I do that?" Ryo quizzed her.

"By eating enough crap for seventeen years that you're on a permanent sugar high?" she grunted.

"You were _staring_ at where you were aiming." He declared.

"I was not." She tried to argue. But she stopped when she saw Ryo sort of grin at her, giving a 'Well, how did I do it then?' gesture. Maybe she _had_ stared at him. "Well…you _know_ me, so of course _you_ know what I'm gonna do."

Again, Ryo grinned, but only for a second. "Carter said the Destroyer was watching, so maybe he knows us too. Come on, try and come at me again."

She slowly nodded. She looked him up and down. His hands were defensive, ready to block her fists. But they weren't symmetrical. And Ryo was predominantly right-handed. She met him in the eye, before kicking his right side with her left leg. As expected, he blocked it quickly, but she then punched as strong as she could into his shoulder. He grunted, and took a step back, rubbing his arm.

"Ow." He mumbled.

She wished she didn't feel so proud about hurting him. But she'd done a good job, so she was. "How was that?"

"Uh," he stopped rubbing his shoulder. "Gonna leave a mark. Not bad."

"Pfff." She scoffed, grinning at him. "You're totally ready to cry."

"Buckets, yeah." He laughed. "Again?"

She nodded. They'd been practicing for a few hours, and Rika felt like she was definitely learning a few things. It had mostly been offensive things, though, mainly because Ryo wasn't comfortable with trying to hit her. His exact phrasing had been, "I'm not gonna hit my girlfriend". Rika had definitely turned so as not to smile and blush at that. Anyways, Rika had come up with an idea where he'd try to swing at her, and she had to block or dodge. She could push him away by the arms or legs, but not by his hands.

"You attack, or me?" Ryo asked.

"You." She suggested. He took a few steps back, and then started to advance. Rika watched his hands.

_No, watch his arms._

He was sort of moving in a pattern. He swung his left arm, and she pushed it away by his wrist. When he swung his right, she ducked, and pushed his arm up and to the side.

"Good." He said. She didn't have to look at him to know that he wasn't looking at her in the eye. "Feet. You're barely moving."

"Why would I move?" she asked.

"So you don't get stuck in a corner. Or so you're not moving towards any more bad guys. Or maybe so Renamon can get behind them, or so—"

"Okay, moving." She cut him off. She'd started backing away from him, before settling into a rhythm of circling each other. "See who can knock who down?" she suggested.

"'Kay." He agreed. "Ready?"

"Uh huh." She nodded. She advanced quickly, aiming for his stomach, but he blocked it and took a step back, another to the side. He tried to kick her leg, but she backed up—too quickly, and she stumbled, but she stayed on her feet. "Didn't count." She declared. He hadn't hit her.

"I know."

Rika threw caution to the wind, and aimed at Ryo's face. His gaze narrowed, and he grabbed her by the wrist, which went up to the air. He didn't let go. Rika reacted quickly, turning backwards to swing her elbow towards Ryo's face, but he noticed and he ducked, grabbing her by the other arm, too. She tried to struggle free, but she wound up with his arm—still holding hers, over her neck, her back against his chest. He won.

But Rika never really knew when to give up completely, and she struggled more, breathing heavily.

"Cheater." She said. "You didn't show me how to do that."

Ryo snickered. "Make something up."

Her feet were still free, but Ryo would expect that. She had to throw him off. She paused, before biting Ryo's arm—pretty hard, too. He grunted, and his grip loosened. She grabbed him by _his_ wrist, and used her right leg to kick his own, throwing it off balance—and then using his arm to tip him over—Ryo fell to the ground, and Rika landed right on top of him.

She laughed, and so did he. He tried to wrestle her off, but she pinned his hands down.

"Say I win." She grinned.

"Okay, you win." He admitted, defeated. She didn't let go.

"Now say I'm the best?"

He grinned back at her. "You're the best."

"Now say something else nice about me?"

He gently rubbed her hands, which were on top of his own. He looked up and to the right, clearly trying to think of something to say. Rika found it funny watching him struggle.

_Struggle…?_

She hadn't figured it out in time—and Ryo slid his hands out from hers quickly, and Rika's face started to fall towards his own. He caught her by the cheeks, and stared at her for a split-second before rolling her over, this time Ryo on top of her, pinning her down.

"Cheater." She grunted.

Ryo laughed and started to say something, but Rika cut him off with a kiss. They both sat up, still kissing softly. His grip loosened, and Rika brought her right hand to his cheek, and her left to his side. It moved to the small of his back, and then up towards his shoulders. She stopped at his neck, and pulled away.

"If I had a knife, you'd so be dead right now." She declared proudly.

"I'll take my chances." He laughed softly, before leaning in again.

A noise from the hall, and Rika pulled back again. "You hear that?" she whispered.

His eyes widened, and he climbed to his feet and backed away as Jeri stepped in. Rika was still sitting on the ground, and Jeri looked at her curiously.

"What's—" Jeri mumbled. "Am I—interrupting anything?"

"N—no, no." Rika tried to say convincingly, climbing to her own feet. She hadn't actually told Jeri about her and Ryo yet. "Ryo's teaching me to fight."

"Oh." Jeri laughed. "I thought—eh, nevermind." She trailed off. Rika flashed a look at Ryo while Jeri's gaze was on the floor. "Anyways, we've got an update on the Circle."

"Are they gonna help?" Ryo asked.

Jeri paused. "Sort of."

"Sort of?" Rika asked.

"Cerberumon and Grademon have denied our request." Jeri took a deep breath. "But Wisemon and Meteormon have superseded their authority and ordered the entire army to regroup here immediately."

"Wait—they're going to help us fight?" Rika asked, trying to make sure she heard that right.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Seven thousand, five hundred fighters, give or take."

Rika let herself feel happy. About time they got a break.

"But, wait…" Ryo stammered. "This is the first dispute the rulers of this city have ever had—couldn't this start a civil war?"

"Yeah, it could." Jeri nodded slowly. "But they'll have to put that on hold until _after_ the fight with the Destroyer."

Rika looked at Ryo, and he nodded. "Okay." He agreed. "Looks like we've done what we can, then. Who do we report to"

"Uh, actually…" Jeri started quietly, coughing. "They want you two to lead the army."

* * *

Okay, well, there's part 1. FYI, the Rika-Ryo fighting/make-out scene was pulled from Chapter 15 to balance out the word count, which is why it kinda seems a little out of place. Please review before you read on!

-N


	15. Fight or Flight

"They was _us_ to lead the army?" Ryo scoffed, as if repeating the information would change what she'd said.

It was ridiculous. Ryo was good in a fight, human or biomerged, but he couldn't possibly lead more than seven thousand digimon into battle. He couldn't even keep an eye on his best friend.

"Wisemon says it's the only way that they'll fight." Jeri sighed. "Apparently we're pretty well-known for stopping the D-Reaper. He says that for the army to actually consider going against Grademon and Cerberumon's orders to stay where they are, they'd want human leadership."

"This is insanity." Rika said, stifling a laugh. "How much leadership do they need? They're trained, aren't they?"

Jeri shrugged. "Orders, tactics, plans—everything."

"How would we even go about doing it?" Rika asked, clearly not pleased.

"Wisemon's working on some sort of speaker, apparently." Jeri murmured. "But I have no idea when he expects it to be done."

_Damn it_.

"Don't they realize that neither of us have _any_ experience with this kind of thing?" Rika asked nervously.

She was right. Ryo wasn't typically one to feel helpless, nor was he one to dodge responsibility, but leading the army? That was just _too_ much. He had no objection to participating in the battle—just not to that extent.

"No." Jeri answered simply. "I don't think they do. But if they _did_, then my best guess is that they wouldn't help."

_Goddamn it._

Ryo looked to Rika, who was shaking her head, defeated. She looked back to him, and he heard her simple reply. "I don't think we have a choice."

"Well, then I guess it's time I send Will back home."

Rika looked at him. He could tell from the look she gave him that she understood why he was doing it, but also that it wouldn't be as simple as asking him to put his laundry away.

"I know." Ryo replied, before she got the chance to ask the question.

* * *

He knocked on the door to Will's room.

"I'm here." Will called.

Ryo stepped in and found his brother at the desk, of course, Giz sitting on top of it, working on some small machine. Will turned and smiled at him. "Hey, check this out." He said excitedly, his face lighting up.

Will was holding the scanner Jeri had brought back. One of the ones Yamaki had given him. Ryo recalled that Yamaki had give the team four of them…it was anyone's guess where the other three were.

"Hey, do you know a girl named Riley?" Will suddenly asked.

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "There's a Riley that works at Hypnos…"

"Yeah, her." Will continued. "She sent me schematics for this thing." He went on, indicating the device. "I think this is the technology that Carter was talking about…it's still early, but I think I can make this thing track _anything_."

Ryo's heart started to race. "You were talking to Hypnos? You didn't tell them about—"

"No, I said that you needed to know some stuff about the Destroyer because it was important to the data spikes." Will assured him. "Didn't say anything about the army—armies."

"It was some impressive manipulation." Giz noted with fake enthusiasm.

Will looked embarrassed. "Oh, and if she asks, my name is Steven Donegal."

"Donovan." Giz corrected him.

"Oh. Right." Will said, realizing. "Anyways, I had her look into the Destroyer." Will pulled a pad of paper from the desk. "And it's original name was 'Armageddemon', but it was killed by the Guardian, 'Fanglongmon', who is the 'fifth Sovereign'."

_Fifth Sovereign…?_

Ryo recalled the image he'd seen on that wall—the one with the prophecies about the Destroyer. He'd thought it was _Twelve, four, one_—twelve devas, four Sovereign, and he'd thought the one was the digital world itself. But it wasn't _twelve, four, one_, it was just _twelve, five_. This 'Guardian' that nobody would talk about was a hidden Sovereign.

"Anything else?" Ryo asked eagerly.

"Uh, not really." Will said thoughtfully. "I asked her to do searches on 'Cronus' and 'Reed', but there wasn't anything. And when I had her search 'Carter', it was classified, and she couldn't get into it. I told her not to tell anyone about the Carter search, though, and when she asked why, I started to say that 'The Destroyer will kill everyone', but I pulled the antennae out so she'd just have to accept that much. But she wants you to call her in a few days so she doesn't get fired for giving me information she shouldn't have…I told her it was for you."

"Not bad." Ryo murmured. Unfortunately, actually putting any of that information to use was contingent on actually surviving the fight.

"I hear you and Rika are leading the charge?" Giz said suddenly, as if recalling.

Ryo's brow raised. He shouldn't have been as surprised as he was—Giz was always the first to hear about things.

"Yeah." Ryo nodded. "So I'm told, anyways."

"I'm sure you guys'll do fine." The digimon said confidently.

Ryo smiled. "Hey, can you give us a minute? I need to talk to Will about something."

Giz shrugged, and hopped off the desk. "Try out that transmitter whenever you're done, Will. I'll be downstairs somewhere."

Saying he'd be 'downstairs' was pretty vague given that they were in a gigantic tower, but Ryo realized that Giz was looking for an opportunity to try out one of the gadgets he'd built with Will.

"Okay." Will agreed with a smile as Giz left. The blonde-haired boy looked to Ryo. "What's up?"

Ryo didn't know how else to put it. "I want you to go home."

Will's smile faded in an instant, and he looked Ryo over. "You think I'm useless."

Ryo sighed. He'd wished that he'd planned ahead of time what to say to him. Will was brilliant, but exactly logical all of the time, which made him a difficult person to argue with. As well, his brother's biggest weakness was that he was unsure of himself, which was a weakness that Ryo was absolutely _not_ willing to exploit.

"I don't think you're useless." Ryo clarified. "I just don't want to have to worry about you."

"Because you don't think I'll be able to do anything, because I'm useless." Will challenged again, visibly upset.

It wasn't going well. "Will, I—"

"Hang on." Will cut him off. He turned around, scooping something small and black off his desk. He tossed it to Ryo, who caught it easily. Ryo looked it over—it looked like an earpiece for a cell phone, but he could tell Will had assembled it himself.

"What's this?" he asked.

"You'll want to be able to give orders to the army, right?" Will said, more of a statement than a question. "This way you can talk to them from wherever." He went on. "Here—one for Rika, too." Will tossed him the other piece.

Before Ryo could say something, Will handed him a disc. "Wisemon and I came up with an extra string of code to put into Calumon. When he sends out the signal, it'll upload a sort of upgrade into all of Hyperion's fighters, and they'll be able to hear you and Rika when you talk out of that."

_Here's our 'how', then._

Saying 'thank you' wouldn't quite express the gratitude that Ryo felt, so he was at a loss. But Will went on.

"I want to help." Will finally said plainly.

"Will…" Ryo said quietly. "You're my responsibility—"

"And you're mine." The boy declared. "The scanner from Hypnos can track all of the bad guys. But nobody else here but me has any idea on how to use it. I already know my way around the city even better than you do—I'm not asking to fight, but you'll need someone that can help the wounded, and keep you updated, and a million other things you just _won't_ have time to do yourself." Will went on. He stared at him seriously. "You said that things aren't the way they ought to be—if we all work together, then we can _make_ them that way. If you ask me to leave, I'll go. But we can actually make a difference."

He had only been in the digital world for about a week, but Ryo had noticed Will had changed. A lot. Ryo supposed it made sense…the situations they were dealing with weren't exactly things that happened in the real world…back at the high school, Will wouldn't have had the opportunity to do what he was doing in the digital world—making a difference.

"One condition." Ryo finally replied, still unsure of himself.

"Name it." Will replied instantly.

Ryo stared at him. "If things get out of hand, you stick with Giz, and the two of you get somewhere safe."

Giz was probably the only one Ryo would trust with Will…the digimon was quick-thinking and resourceful—like Will. He knew the ins-and-outs of every part of the city, and would be able to get Will away if the worst were to happen.

"Okay." Will nodded.

Ryo hoped he was doing the right thing. He hugged his brother, aware that Ryo himself might not get to again. There was a knock at the door in a second, though, and the two turned to see who it was.

"Aw…" Rika teased.

"Hey, I'm staying for the fight!" Will said, excited.

"I'm glad." Rika nodded. "Giz just told me you two made some pretty cool shit."

"Yes, the shit is _very_ cool." Will said thoughtfully. Ryo gave him a scolding look. "Sorry."

Ryo smirked, before turning to Rika. "What's up?"

"Need to talk to you." She replied with a thoughtful sigh. Ryo stood up, but Rika halted him from leaving. "Both of you, actually."

Will looked confused, and Ryo _was_ confused. "Okay." Ryo said carefully.

"I don't think both of us should be leading the army." She started. "I mean, we've both got our own strategies and everything, right? This is gonna depend on every thing and every one working together, but what'll happen if we both give two different orders?"

Ryo hadn't actually thought about it. He knew the way Rika handled battle, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that she was right.

"Am I right, or am I just being paranoid?" she asked hesitantly.

"You're right." Ryo finally admitted. "Well, Sakuyamon can fly, so that means you'd have a better view than me…"

Rika bit her lip. "I guess that's true."

Will raised his hand a little. "Uh, with the things Giz and I made, the two of us'll actually be able to get a visual on the positions of everything…and with the microphones, we can forward the information to you, so technically you could be fighting blind, and we'd still be able to let you know where everything and everyone is."

Ryo tilted his head as he thought about it. Sakuyamon's attacks—they were much better at dealing with _groups_ than Justimon's were. Which meant that Rika would be doing a lot more damage than Ryo would be—meaning she should be focusing on the actual fighting itself.

"I think you should do it." Rika suddenly said. Ryo was taken aback, but Rika went on. "I mean, I'm not trying to pile this huge thing on you or anything, and if you want me to do it, I will—but I think you'd—I think you'd do a better job at it than I would."

_Wow._

If Ryo hadn't realized before just how much Rika had changed over the years, acknowledging her limits was as tell-tale as the signs could get.

"Alright." He said finally. "_But_, if I say _anything_ you don't agree with, I want you to let me know right away. I can't do it without your input." He said, suddenly looking from Rika to Will. "Either of you."

* * *

Jeri was standing with Renamon and Wisemon. They were in Wisemon's room, which looked similar to Rika's, Ryo's, and Will's. The room they'd given Jeri was in the Janus tower, which was a considerable walk away. She was sure they'd have given her a room in Atlas if she'd asked for it, but she knew why hers was at Janus—underneath it were the tunnels that she and Calumon had arrived at the city from.

The tunnels led out of the city, and they wanted her to help with the evacuation if there needed to be one, though. Wisemon had told her not to tell anyone about her own role in preparing for the worst, since it was obviously a sensitive subject. She realized that everyone had their roles—Rika and Ryo were taking over for Cerberumon and Grademon. Will was working with Wisemon, and Jeri was taking over for Meteormon.

"Is Cyberdramon coming?" Jeri asked, realizing he wasn't around.

Renamon shook her head. "He's working with a team that are working on fortifying the city walls."

"Makes sense." Jeri murmured. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, yes." Wisemon nodded. "I need to take a look inside your head."

She took a step back—not out of fear, but she wanted more of an explanation than that.

"…Why?"

The hooded digimon tilted his head. "A few days before you arrived, I was able to locate Takato and Cronus with Ryo's help. By looking into his mind—his memories, feelings—I was able to locate his friend. I've since tried to find him with those same memories, but something is—working against me, and it's not enough." He explained. "Renamon has suggested that if I combine what Ryo has seen and felt with your own experiences, I might be able to find something more definite."

She paused. "Will all the memories still be there?"

He nodded "Yes, and I assure you that your privacy will be protected."

She closed her eyes. "Alright. Go ahead." Jeri started to shake nervously as she felt his hand on her forehead, but a second later he removed it, and informed her that the process was complete. "That's it?"

"Yes." Wisemon confirmed.

She was almost too scared to ask. "Did you find him?"

He shook his head slowly. "It's a rather lengthy process, I'm afraid. I'll continue to look, but my chances of finding him will increase noticeably once the battle starts."

Jeri raised an eyebrow. "How's that?"

Renamon touched her shoulder gently. "We know that when a digimon dies, its data can be absorbed. But we don't want to risk—infecting—our own forces with anything left behind from the Destroyer."

"Okay…?" she said droningly, waiting for the explanation.

"The data from all the defeated enemies will be funneled back to the city, and we can then use it to locate your friends." Wisemon finished. "Meteormon has volunteered to help with the transferring process, which will take him out of commission—and is why we've asked you to take over his duties in keeping the civilians calm."

"Okay." Jeri nodded. "I'll do what I can."

"I'm glad to hear that." Wisemon nodded. "Unfortunately, Calumon's light is no longer strong enough to reach where we initially hoped."

Her heart sank. "So bringing him…"

"Was still very useful." Renamon assured her. "Wisemon and Will have managed to develop an 'upgrade' that they're connecting to Calumon's light. The hope is it will allow the army to hear orders given from Rika, Ryo, Cyberdramon, and myself."

She felt somewhat comforted. She loved Calumon, but saving him had come at such a cost. They talked to her about the possibility that they wouldn't find Takato or the others, but she didn't pay attention. She had to keep hoping. She had decided to take a walk shortly afterwards when she passed Will in the hall.

"Hey, where are you off to?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Gonna go get lost, I think." She suggested. "You?"

He too shrugged. "Tagging along if that's okay."

"Of course." She smiled. They headed down all the stairs and outside the tower. It was early in the evening, and many of the stores were still open. Will had told her that he needed to buy a few things.

"So what are we looking for?" she asked as she looked around at some of the things that were for sale.

"Uh, something on how digimon work." He said slowly.

She gave him a look. "Huh?"

"The room that I've got all my computer stuff in is where they're going to bring the wounded to." He explained. "So I wanna learn as much as I can about how medical attention works here."

She smiled a bit, and helped him find a book. It took them both a while, but Jeri was able to find three ones that Will said would be really helpful. She was impressed with how much responsibility he was taking on—the few times she'd met him in the real world he'd always been shy—Jeri thought that maybe he didn't like her.

It was dark by the time they were done buying things, and Will insisted on walking her back to her room. She accepted the offer, and they talked about the upcoming battle. Jeri mentioned how Wisemon and Meteormon would be trying to locate Takato.

"Takato was the first nice person that I met here—in Shinjuku, I mean." Will said suddenly. Another few seconds passed. "He helped me a lot. Him and Cronus both."

Jeri smiled weakly, not looking at him. She knew the event—Will had been in the process of being mugged when Cronus and Takato saved him. It had been the same day that Ryo found out that Takato was still alive.

"Can I ask you something?" he said quickly, nervously.

"Sure, of course." She said with a smile.

"If—if Cronus really _is_ the Destroyer…" he started. "What are they going to do with him?"

Her heart sank. Will was smarter than her, but he was also innocent enough that he'd believe a lie if she told it. It wasn't her place to create a delusion, though, nor was it her place to take that innocence away.

"I honestly don't know." She admitted. "I'm just hoping that we can all go back home _together_."

He looked upset for a moment, but the expression went away in a flash, and he nodded. "Thanks for being honest with me." He told her. "Everyone kind of tells me that nothing bad can happen here, but I know it can."

She frowned. "They probably just don't want to upset you." She suggested.

"I know." He said, guiltily. "I guess I sort of miss life being simple."

Jeri understood what he meant. She should be doing the next day's calculus homework at that time.

"Anyways, thanks again for helping me find these." Will said, holding up the books. "I should get back to my room though."

"Okay." Jeri nodded. "Thanks for walking me back."

He smiled back. "Night."

"Yep, see you in the morning."

* * *

"Sir?"

Reed looked up, losing his place once more in the novel he was trying to read. One of his subordinates looked at him fearfully. Reed slid the bookmark into place and closed the cover before standing up.

"What?"

"Th—they'll be here in a few minutes." It said nervously.

Reed stared hard at it for a moment. "Alright."

It turned and left quickly. Reed too headed towards the door, but he paused as he felt a—presence. Sure enough, Carter appeared in front of him. Reed looked at him carefully, returning his hand to his side, as he'd instinctively reached for his knives before he'd realized it was the boy.

"Please…" Carter begged.

Reed turned to glance at the picture behind him, Carter on a slide, Reed waiting to catch him. He turned back to the glowing apparition in front of him. Reed walked _through_ him, ignoring him, and got back to work.

He headed down the stairs quickly, and into the main hall as a swarm of agents brought in three human bodies. Gigadramon was already there, and was patiently waiting for him.

The dragon looked almost comical given its shrunken size—though Reed had no doubt that with half a thought it would return to its native size—that would just be bad for the building. Besides, Reed didn't really mind, since he didn't like having to look _up_ to something to talk to it.

"Is the army prepared?" Gigadramon asked him as he arrived.

Reed nodded. "And then some, yes. They're well on their way to Hyperion by now. They'll move in when the Destroyer wakes up."

Gigadramon nodded. Reed wasn't sure what to do with him—if he killed Gigadramon, it would be a little too obvious that Reed was planning on betraying the Destroyer. Gigadramon was naïve, though, so Reed was hoping of either swaying Gigadramon into attacking Reed, or to joining him to overthrow the Destroyer. But that was another dilemma for another time.

"This is all of them?" Reed asked, running his hand down the rail as he stepped off the stairs. A nod from the leader of the team.

"_Three_ isn't all of them." Reed snarled. "I can't help but notice Kazu and Jeri aren't here?"

The leader looked nervous. "She escaped, sir, and he—that is, my men mistook him for a kill order, and they—"

Reed's blood caught fire. "You _killed_ him!"

"N—not _me_ personally, sir—he attacked us, and—"

Reed walked up to the leader quickly. He could basically _hear_ its fear—and rightly so. He closed his eyes as he concentrated, opening them only after he had charged up Baihumon's Iron Claws attack. The captain knew better than to run away, though it might have given him an extra quarter-second to live. Reed unleashed the attack, the agent sliced horizontally into four pieces, which collectively formed a cloud of data. Reed absorbed it.

They'd directly disobeyed an order. They'd _killed_ one of them. Kazu Shioda—he was younger than Reed was.

He was still angry, and it showed—Azulongmon's Blue Lightning attack was already charged, and though Reed knew that eliminating those idiots wouldn't make anything better, he did it anyways, and the attack fired, and after an instant, leaving only four standing—one holding Henry, one holding Takato, one holding Cronus, and one shaking in its fear.

"You three—" Reed ordered, indicating the ones that held the Tamers. "Take them to their designated areas. And you—" he pointed at the fourth. "Write me up a report. I want to know _exactly_ what happened to Shioda. Lie, or leave anything out, and you'll wish you died with the rest of your team."

* * *

Rika felt Ryo's hand on the small of her back, the warmth of it one of the few comforts in her life, given the situation. She broke away suddenly, earning herself a confused look from Ryo.

"Sorry…" he murmured to her immediately.

"No, it's just—" Rika said, looking over the balcony. They were at the top floor of the Atlas tower, in the center of the city. The view was beautiful, which is probably why Rika wasn't surprised to have found Ryo up there a short while earlier. The city could be seen below, looking so much smaller than she knew it was. Most of the houses were lit up in the darkness. Maybe it was because the view was so distracting, that Ryo'd gone up there—no matter how overworked Rika's own mind was, it felt a whole lot calmer staring off at all that. "I wanted to know something."

"Okay." He answered, still holding her arms. There was a slight breeze, and it was a little cold, but she didn't really mind if it meant being near him.

"Make me a promise?" she asked suddenly.

He nodded, though there was a pause between it and when Rika next spoke. It wasn't a discussion Rika had been looking forward to having, but it was one that needed to be had. In a few days time, they'd be heading into battle. They still had no idea what they were up against, but there were things to be prepared for that had nothing to do with the army.

She breathed in deeply. "If I die, promise you'll keep fighting."

Ryo looked hurt. "I would never let anything happen to you." He said, as if her suggestion had been an insult to his intentions.

She kissed him, but it took a moment before he kissed back. She looked him in the eye as she broke away. "I know." She said quietly. "But we know that things happen."

He said nothing, and it was killing her. She'd promised herself before that she wouldn't cry, though, and she wasn't going to let herself.

"I don't want any Romeo and Juliet garbage, all right?" Rika said, pulling away, but still holding onto him. "If I get taken down, promise me you won't stop. Don't even slow down. Just keep fighting."

She tried not to feel guilty about the pained look he gave her. He said nothing at first, and Rika's gaze fell to the floor. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything.

"Only if you promise the same thing." Ryo said quietly. "If something happens to me, you have to keep fighting, too." He went on, before adding. "And you have to take care of Will, too."

She nodded. "Promise."

* * *

The machine sparked under Reed's hand, but it was nothing compared to what happened on the table—the current was running through it rapidly, and Cronus was screaming and convulsing on it. Reed kept his poker face on, though, and just watched.

_This _has _to work._

He shut down the power, and waited for Cronus to stop twitching.

"Tell me who you are." Reed asked coolly.

A whimper, followed by a weak voice. "Cronus Matsuda."

Reed turned the power back on for five more seconds. It took another ten before Cronus relaxed.

"Tell me who you are." Reed repeated.

"Guilmon." Cronus grunted painfully, tears visible on his face as he made eye contact with Reed. Cronus suddenly broke down sobbing. "I don't know what you want me to say."

Reed didn't let it show that he was affected. He dropped his gaze, but only to look at the power switch. He hit it again.

More screams. Reed turned to the two subordinates in the room with him. "You two. Get out of here, now."

They left quickly, and Reed went to hit the power switch again. A small shock went up his finger, but he knew he wasn't in any position to complain.

Cronus didn't move at all, and for a moment, Reed had thought it had worked. Either that, or he thought he'd killed him. But the room lit up yellow, and Reed turned around, expecting to see the small boy he was searching for.

And Reed saw him, but only for a fraction of a second. Because Carter disappeared the instant Cronus started screaming at the top of his lungs.

"_Get out of my head!_"

Reed bit his lip, and approached the side of the table, looking down at Cronus. His expression was almost blank—he didn't appear to be in pain, or angry, or anything—except lost.

_Well, now we're getting somewhere_.

"Tell me what your purpose is."

Cronus's head moved ever so slightly, the most faint shaking of his head. "I can't."

Reed pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, carefully wiping off some of the dirt and tears from the boy's face. It was like playing Good-Cop-Bad-Cop, where Reed was both.

"I can't let you go until you tell me." Reed explained soothingly.

Cronus looked to be considering it. "My friends don't know." He whimpered. "If they found out, they wouldn't understand it."

"I already know _that_ much." Reed said, trying to keep his patience. "But you don't have to tell them. You have to tell me."

Cronus still wasn't looking at him, but he nodded slowly, and then met his eye. "Cooking."

_Cooking?_

"What?" Reed asked.

Cronus nodded slowly, sorrowfully. "To make the world a much tastier place."

A few seconds of silence, and then a slight cough. A squeaking. A snicker. And another second before Reed growled in anger, while Cronus laughed loudly and hysterically at his prank, Reed turning the power on again.

* * *

"Are we ready?" Ryo asked after a minute of silence.

Jeri raised an eyebrow as she looked up from the notes in her hands. "We're supposed to be asking _you _that."

"Right." Ryo corrected himself quietly. She watched as he looked around the room that they'd seemed to have spent an eternity in. Jeri knew very well it had only been three days, but they'd all had to spend so much time there that she almost felt like she was forgetting what the _real _world was like.

"The army is ready." Renamon nodded. "I certainly hope your soft-hearted approach makes them stronger rather than vulnerable."

"Yeah, me too." Ryo said grimly.

Jeri really wished that Renamon hadn't sounded so mad. Had Jeri been in Ryo's shoes, she would have done the same. Ryo's idea was to encourage all of the army to want to protect each other as a way of strengthening them as a group.

Her one uncertainty was that she wasn't sure how well it would work on an army that had since swelled to nearly ten thousand. But Jeri trusted Ryo. She _had_ to. He was the only person Jeri knew who wanted to save Takato as much as she did. In truth, there had been a few times where Jeri had been jealous of Ryo's friendship with Takato. She had been hurt now-and-then knowing that there were things Takato wasn't comfortable talking to _her_ about, but she knew it was alright,. When Ryo told her that they'd save Takato, she actually believed it—coming from anyone else, it would have sounded half-hearted and patronizing. But coming from Ryo, she knew that it was _true_.

_So _that's_ what Rika sees._

Jeri started missing Takato again. She missed her other life—the one where she just worried about getting her homework done, or finding the right birthday present, or being on time to meet all her friends for dinner. It was all so much—easier. Nobody's safety in the balance. No worrying about what happens if she made a mistake. No fear that her boyfriend is dead.

_Except for maybe that _one_ time._

The last few days had given Jeri a newfound respect for Ryo, not that she didn't have respect for him before. But their collective grief-trip about a week earlier had helped give Jeri insight to all the people and things that Ryo makes himself protect, day in, day out.

"The infirmary's all set up?" Ryo asked.

"Check." Jeri nodded, focusing herself. "The room that the Circle suggested was big but sort of a mess, but it's ready to go now. Will did a _fantastic_ job of it."

"Okay, good." Ryo nodded. "How much time do we have left?"

Giz spoke up. "Seventy minutes until they're in range." Jeri'd almost forgotten he was in the room, he'd been so quiet.

"Still no word on how many there are?" she asked so that Ryo wouldn't have to.

"No." Giz shook his head. "Nothing yet."

"Any idea when we'll have an estimate?" Ryo asked, beating her to it.

Giz's face twisted thoughtfully. "Should be within the next ten minutes."

"Alright." Ryo said acceptingly, looking back down to the map on the table. "How're the civilians handling everything?"

"They're—calm." Jeri informed him. "A lot of those who can't fight were difficult to speak to, but they understand the situation, so we don't have to worry about them barging in here demanding to know what's going on. And there've been a lot of interest among the battle-ready in joining up with the army as militia."

They hadn't been too difficult to reason with. Jeri just explained that Cyberdramon and Renamon would both be on their side, it was enough to put them at ease. She hadn't gone about mentioning that Ryo was leading the defense, though. If any of them would have taken it half as badly as Renamon had, Jeri knew it was a discussion she'd just as well avoid.

"Appreciated." Ryo told her. "Any word from Cyberdramon on the walls?"

"It looks like they're as reinforced as they're going to get, but he's still making sure." Giz replied.

"Good." Ryo said, exhaling sharply. The stress was getting to him, and Jeri felt for him. "How's morale?"

"Rika and Will are still down there talking to everyone." Jeri noted, looking at her watch. They'd been there for a while.

"I'll go check on them." Giz suggested, scurrying out of the room.

"I know I'm forgetting something…" Ryo mumbled, looking around frantically.

Jeri bit her lip. "I can't think of anything…"

"What about the tunnels?" Ryo caught her gaze. "Are they ready in case the city needs to evacuate?"

Renamon scoffed before Jeri could answer, and Ryo shot a glare at the fox.

"What?" Ryo asked, half-hiding the bitter tone.

"We should be preparing for a victory, not for a defeat." Renamon challenged.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Ryo growled.

"The truth of this is that you have no idea _what_ you're doing, and _our_ lives are on the line." Renamon retorted.

Jeri wanted to break the argument up, but she had no idea how.

"No. See, _not_ preparing for the worst would be foolish." Ryo spat. "We're supposed to be protecting this city, and we need a _way out_ for the civilians to _do_ that."

"Then they should have gotten out of the city _days_ ago." Renamon growled back.

"They wouldn't have had anywhere to _go._" Ryo insisted. "And we can't afford diverting _any_ of our soldiers until we know how many opponents we're dealing with.

"Your inexperience will _cost_ us more than we can afford."

"Both of you calm down!" Jeri shouted as their argument escalated. It was no use though, and she sighed loudly, dropping her hands to her sides as Renamon accused Ryo of being inexperienced and shortsighted while Ryo insisted that he's only doing what he knows was logical and rational.

"You're not putting enough effort into this." Renamon stated flatly, though the volume was on par with the rest of the argument.

"Excuse me?" Ryo growled, indignantly. "I'm sorry if this vein on my forehead isn't pulsing quite enough for you, but I'm doing the best I know how, and seeing as how we're supposed to be working together, this is the last thing that either of us need."

"Just because you've gotten comfortable around Rika doesn't mean you can be comfortable around me." Renamon growled.

_What?_

Ryo stood up fast, the chair behind him flipping back and hitting the ground loudly. "That's none of your damn—"

"Guys—" Will rushed into the room, causing the argument to halt mid-sentence, and everyone to turn to him. He looked terrified.

"What's wrong?" Jeri asked anxiously.

"Will?" Ryo was concerned as well.

"There wasn't anything on the scanners, but Rika suggested that they _know _we're using them, so maybe they're waiting right outside of its range." Will explained. "So Giz came up with a way to boost it, but it only lasted for a few seconds."

"Were you able to get a reading?" Renamon asked.

"Yeah." Will replied, before turning to stare at Ryo. "There's at least thirty thousand of them."

"What?" Jeri gasped. "That many…? And—"

"They're hours early." Renamon said quietly. Fear wasn't something Jeri was used to hearing from Renamon—maybe that's why it sounded so strange.

"I know." Will said quickly. "But they're here. We finished the upload to Calumon's light, so those microphones I made you should work fine, but I didn't have time to make it compatible with Grademon and Cerberumon."

"What?" Ryo asked. "Why would they need it?"

"Oh, right." Will gasped. "The scanner was proof enough. They'll join in the fight, but again, only if _you_ lead it."

Jeri knew that Ryo could have shot another look to Renamon, but he didn't.

* * *

Cronus tried to move his legs again, the restraints silently reminding him it was useless.

_No, it's not useless. Never give up._

He tried again. Harder. Arms and legs. He was gritting his teeth with effort as he tried to move every limb simultaneously. Cronus was only able to lift his head perhaps an inch, but by the time he ran out of breath, it collapsed back against the hard stone table.

_Well, maybe I'll just wait a minute, then._

"I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable," Reed said. "But until I get what I need you'll remain as you are."

Cronus stared into Reed's face. He saw so much in his eyes—malice…anger…power…but Cronus was able to notice something that surprised him—pity.

"You don't like to hurt people." Cronus whispered, silently praying he was correct.

Reed's head tilted to the side, signaling the digimon outside to leave. "What makes you say that?" he asked once they were alone.

Cronus looked him over through hazy eyes. Running shoes. Navy denim jeans. Black shirt. Green vest. Reed looked so normal. But Cronus noticed something else.

"Your face is red." He declared quietly. "You don't look comfortable."

Reed grit his teeth. "If you think I'm scared of hurting you…"

"I know you will." Cronus replied quickly. "But it's not what you like to do."

Reed seemed to relax. "Maybe not. You're a monster, though."

Cronus broke eye contact, unable to come up with a response. He knew it was true—the blanking out, waking up elsewhere—the fact that his power came at the cost of his humanity.

"So why do you do it?" Cronus finally asked him.

Reed turned away for a moment, giving a silent laugh that seemed to echo in the room. He turned back, a small shrug rising and falling from his shoulders. "I used to have a partner. A real friendly one—like you used to be. Until he went off and got himself killed protecting some weak little things."

Cronus stared at Reed as he spoke passionlessly. It still wasn't the explanation Cronus needed. There was more to Reed than just a lost partner. But still, Cronus could tell—the pain was real. "What was his name?"

"Not your business." Reed snapped.

"Okay." Cronus said quietly. "But it sounds like he was just trying to do as much good as he could to."

"Greater good…" The sound Cronus heard Reed make was between a laugh and a sigh. "I guess it's a safe assumption that that's something Takato told you?"

A beat before Cronus nodded.

"He's wrong." Reed replied simply.

Cronus rolled his head to both sides before he looked at Reed again, the cold table rough against his cheek. "If we don't try to make a difference, then we're nothing."

Another laugh from Reed. "So tell me, why did you save Ryo and Rika, when it meant that village would die?"

Cronus felt his heart beat hard.

"The greater good doesn't work." Reed said quietly. "There's no 'one' rule that we can use to plot our actions by. Life's not so easy."

Reed stared at him a moment before he nodded to a figure outside the room. Cronus felt the table start to move—no, to heat up. He convulsed as the electricity surged through his body. It felt like he was on fire, though his screams seemed to do little to deter Reed.

The pain finally subsided a few minutes after the table was turned off.

"Just tell me the truth." Reed said quietly. "If you just—Awaken, none of this will happen—your friends will be safe. But if you don't…"

_Awaken?_

What was Reed talking about?

"Your friends have given up on you." Reed said after a pause. "Please, just cooperate, and this can all end."

Would they really give up on him? Were they even _his_ friends, or were they just nice to him because he was Takato's friend…? Takato…

Reed hit a button, and in a flash, he saw Ryo, Rika, and—Will…?

"The Destroyer…it's Cronus." He heard them say. Again. And again. And again.

The screen went away. Another one popped up. A hooded digimon, talking to the same three. "I've detected two distinct consciousnesses in your friend Cronus."

_It's…me?_

"Is Takato okay?" Cronus coughed, closing his eyes for a moment, his eyelids feeling hot at what he just saw.

Reed breathed deeply. "He'll be fine, yes."

Cronus didn't care if he himself died, but he wanted Takato to be taken home. To his parents, and his house. Cronus wouldn't mind dying if that were the trade-off.

"I don't know you…" Cronus started. "But do you have any close friends? Family?"

"Of course." Reed sounded defensive.

"Your partner…" Cronus recalled. The partner would mean that Reed had cared about at least one other living thing. "When he died, did it happen quickly?"

For a moment Cronus thought Reed was going to turn that electric torturing thing back on again, and he even saw his hand move to the control, but he hesitated. "No. No, it happened slowly. He had time to think about all the things he'd never get to do in his life."

"Almost nobody gets to do what they want with their life." Cronus recited, a painfully pessimistic fact he'd once realized when he'd asked Takato about poverty. "And now, because of what you're doing…I won't get to either."

Another silence, and Reed stared at him hard. But Cronus had given up any hope of escape. "What are you going to do with Takato?"

Reed shrugged. "I imagine he'll be returned home, after this is all over."

Cronus bit his lip, trying to distract himself so that he wouldn't cry. But it didn't work, and he felt the tears flow. "Can you tell him that this didn't happen? That it was quick?"

The older boy's head tilted to the side. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm just going to bring out some of your power— I need it."

_Because I'm the Destroyer…?_

"No." Cronus finally growled. "No. I'm not like you."

The digimon outside turned the electricity back on, but Cronus was able to hear Reed's voice over it—over his own screams.

The young man sighed. "Not yet."

Okay, the first scene—Jeri's flashback—was supposed to be in the last chapter, which in turn was supposed to have been broken into two separate chapters (one where they rescue Calumon, one where Takato and the others get taken). I just wanted to get the main story going again. Anyways, the next chapter's gonna be intense, so take a bathroom break and grab some snacks.

Thanks for reading! Review, and read on!

-N


	16. The Storm

I'm really proud of this one…it's kind of all over the place, but everything ties together pretty well. The goal was to use every single character as best as I could without it seeming forced.

-N

* * *

"Calumon." Jeri said quietly as he looked to her. "Now."

As her little friend closed his eyes and emit a fantastic red pillar of light from the symbol on his forehead, Jeri glanced behind him, over the rail of the tower, she bit her lower lip as she stared at the advancing army. She took a step forward, her hands touching the cold stone of the rail of the balcony, looking down at the digital world's own army. They looked so small by comparison.

_No. We can win this. Ryo can win this._

She looked over her shoulder to her friends, who looked at her anxiously. Rika's eyes were closed, and her mouth was moving as if she was whispering, almost as if in prayer. Will was looking up to Ryo, who had a hand on Will's shoulder, though Ryo was looking at Jeri patiently. Waiting. Waiting for her signal. In front of Will stood Giz, who looked down at his feet anxiously, as if expecting something interesting to be there. To Rika's other side was Renamon, and to Ryo's other side stood Cyberdramon. Both partners seemed to be breathing slowly and deeply.

Ryo and Rika were each wearing a small black earpiece that Will had assembled for them, so that they could communicate with each other and with the other digimon in the battle.

As Calumon's light faded, Jeri looked from her small friend down to Hyperion's own army—whatever Will uploaded to them seemed to be working: they were moving _differently_. Better. As one. A glance up told her that the Destroyer's agents were getting closer. Not much time left. A cold breeze blew in her face, an omen of what was to come. She turned to her friends, unsuccessfully attempting to brush the hair out of her eyes.

She hated that she had to make any decisions—hell, hated that she—no—_any_ of them had to be involved in this battle. But she knew that it'd be selfish of her to argue or protest it. Rika and Ryo were putting so much on the line already. They—well, Ryo, last Jeri heard—would be leading the army himself. Made sense, in a way: two leaders probably wouldn't have worked, since they wouldn't really have time to discuss any disagreements if they came up. She was proud of them for making that decision. Proud of Rika for agreeing to follow; proud of Ryo for agreeing to lead.

Will and Giz were there, too, and Jeri was uneasy about them. However brilliant Will was, he definitely hadn't seen battle before, and Jeri didn't know how he might handle it. She trusted Giz to be clever enough to protect Will if the need were to arise.

She wished the others were there with them—with her. Kazu was, in all likelihood, dead. The number of digimon that he'd led away from Takato, Jeri, Henry, Cronus, and Calumon—sure, it wasn't the army that Rika and Ryo were about to face, but there were still so many…

Jeri'd tried not to think of it. It had been only half a week, and she was doing a decent job of it, too. What she felt guilty about was not knowing what to feel the saddest about—Kazu's fate, what happened to Henry, Cronus and Takato, or what was _about_ to happen to the city, Rika, and Ryo.

She wished Takato was there with her. He was always able to make important decisions. She wished he was there. Not to take over the responsibility for her—she just knew she'd be a lot more calm if he was standing next to her. He wasn't though. He wasn't there with her. She had no idea _where_ he was. She'd come to terms with her guilt about escaping the attack while Takato, Cronus, and Henry hadn't. She loved Takato—with all her heart, she loved him. But when it happened, all her instincts were screaming at her to get up and run. It felt strange to think it, but she knew it was what was supposed to have happened—which circled around to cause her new guilt for feeling that they were all just puppets.

But there wasn't time to worry about that. There hadn't been, and there probably wouldn't be.

"I think it's time." Jeri said with a nod.

Ryo squeezed Will's shoulder, and Rika looked to him as the two stepped forward, climbing onto the rail of the balcony they all stood on. Renamon and Cyberdramon followed suit.

"Take care of him 'til I get back, alright?" Ryo said to Jeri quietly.

Jeri looked to Will, then back to Ryo, who met her gaze. He looked so much older, so much more mature.

"I will." She replied. "Be careful out there."

Ryo paused, looking out at the approaching battle, and Jeri could see that they were less than a minute away. How many had Will said there were? Thirty thousand plus? Jeri's stomach tightened, but only for a second. If _anybody_ was capable of dealing with odds like that, it'd be Rika and Ryo.

Something had changed between the two of them, Jeri'd noticed it. The way that they looked at each other—or _didn't_ look at each other—it was different than before. The impression Jeri got was that they finally told each other how they felt. They hadn't mentioned it to her though, and Jeri typically wasn't one to pry. If they'd finally accepted each other into their lives, then Jeri was glad. It gave them something else to fight for.

"Ready, Rika?" Ryo asked over the loudening shouts.

"I'm ready." Rika said flatly through grit teeth, her fists clenched.

"Renamon?" Ryo called.

"Always." The fox answered, stiffening her stance.

_Well, that one was to be expected._

"Cyberdramon?" Ryo finally asked.

His partner grunted in affirmation, and Ryo looked back from each person he spoke to, to the army of his own he now had to lead.

_Here goes._

"Alright, everyone." Ryo said calmly, switching on the earpiece, as Jeri watched Rika do the same. "Take a good look around and remind yourself everything you're fighting for. Everything _we're_ fighting for. Everything we know is on the line—everyone we love." He looked at Rika for a few seconds—long enough that he evidently wanted Rika to notice, and apparently he didn't mind that Jeri and Will had noticed, too. "If Hyperion falls…" he went on. "then this world falls with it. Don't let that happen."

Jeri watched Ryo look back to Will and flash a smile before he nodded at both Rika and Cyberdramon.

An instant later, he leapt off of the rail below, Cyberdramon beside him, as Rika and Renamon did the same. Will rushed to Jeri's side, though she didn't look at him, as she stared at her friends, two shades of blue light blinding her gaze as they biomerged to Justimon and Sakuyamon.

"Th—how—" Will stammered, looking at Jeri only for an instant before looking back down to Ryo and Rika's biomerged forms. "That's incredible! I mean, Ryo told me about it, but I never really thought…"

He trailed off, and Jeri stared on as Justimon and Sakuyamon approached the front lines.

"Will, let's get inside."

"What? But Ryo and Rika…"

"They know what they're doing." Jeri interrupted him. "But we need you, Giz, and Calumon to take care of the wounded as soon as they start coming in."

Calumon hopped off the rail, standing in front of Will, looking at her. "But what are you gonna do, Jeri?"

"I'm going to talk to the Circle."

* * *

Ryo ran along the ground—though he easily could have been going faster. He knew that the ground units were behind him, or at least they would be—all seventy-five hundred of them. There were about three thousand that could fly, including Rika. Seven and a half thousand lives in his hands—and if there was anything he'd learned in the last two years, it was that they _were_ alive. Not just data. Alive. Emotions. Feelings. Fear. Loyalty. They had it all.

He slowed his pace and stopped, deciding it was a good enough distance from the city. Hyperion's units could keep the Destroyer's far enough away from the city but still giving them some room to fall back if they needed to.

"Alright, ground units" he ordered, his voice weak at first, but growing stronger. "—form a half-ring around the city from here—we need to hold this ground, _don't_ let them near the city."

"Scared?" Rika asked him teasingly.

"Terrified." Ryo admitted, making sure he was only communicating to Rika. "You?"

"Oh yeah." She replied. "Didn't want to tell them about our odds, huh?"

He'd decided not to—right when Will had told him. They were outnumbered almost three-to-one—it would be better for morale if they didn't know. Hell, even Ryo sort of wished that he hadn't known.

_Three to one_.

The odds kept ringing in his mind. Three to one. But—he wasn't as scared as he could have been—because he knew that their side still had a few good weapons the Destroyer didn't have. And _he_ just happened to be one of them.

* * *

Will was running, though he knew he didn't need to. The fight would be starting in just a few minutes—it would take even longer than that for anybody to be brought in for care. He'd set up a makeshift infirmary the day before with the help of Jeri and Giz. It was pretty big—there were 60 beds, around 50 blankets they'd set up as bedrolls around the ground, and a lot of water and bandages. He just wanted to make sure everything was as he'd left it half an hour earlier.

He was nervous, and even though he hadn't any idea the layout of a digimon's anatomy, he'd studied it enough the day before to have a thorough comprehension. He'd never left studying for a test until the night before, but he was wishing that he had so that he'd know if it worked for him.

The names of all the different kinds of digimon was still beyond him. But the way their bodies worked—how they were put together, and how they _held_ together, was similar, and Will was confidant that he would be able to recognize the anatomy of the different kinds in Hyperion's army by their appearances, without the names. In the worst-case-scenario, he could just ask Giz the name of any wounded fighters he forgot.

There was a table near the middle-back of the room. It had a lot of stuff on it—equipment so he could monitor the battle, as well as some medical equipment the Circle had prepared for him. Sterilizers, surgical instruments, bandages, blood stabilizers, and painkillers. Will had shuddered when they'd mentioned the last one—the idea that each and every one of those creatures was going to feel pain was a thought that Will didn't like, but one he couldn't ignore. On the other hand, however, it did give him some extra motivation to do his absolute best.

He walked quickly to the table, looking at the computer screen on it. He watched the numbers, the letters, the colors, and how they changed. There was also a radar-looking display he'd set up. He'd based the device off of the Hypnos technology Yamaki had used to create Takato's scanner, which picked up rogue data from the digital world. Will's modifications made it look for data _inside_ lifeforms, and while that obviously picked up many more signals, he could use it to track the life signs of the Destroyer's agents as they got close.

_Thirty thousand enemies. At once._

Will started stressing himself sick trying to think of any last-minute ways he could help Ryo and Rika. He had had a few ideas that he was struggling to make practical, but he wasn't being very successful at it. Will had had an idea to set up a sort of electromagnetic net around the city that would deactivate anything that passed it. He'd even come up with a way to create it—and it would have been done in time—the catch was he wouldn't have been able to limit the field to go _around_ the city—he couldn't come up with a way to stop the field from going _through_ the city, leaving it defenseless.

Ryo had told him stories of his time in the digital world with his friends, the battles they'd fought, the lives they'd saved…but—they'd never faced anything like what they were about to, at least not according to what Ryo'd told him; and Will was certain that Ryo would have mentioned it.

There were a few life-signs in or near Hyperion that Will could recognize, or at least narrow down. The two most powerful ones were Rika and Ryo, but Will couldn't tell them apart from each other. Four more were members of the Circle of Telesto, and another was Calumon, though the Circle were staying in the city to protect the civilians, and Calumon's power apparently wasn't the kind that could be used as a weapon.

Will picked up his own earpiece from the table, and turned it on. He typed furiously on the computer, adjusting the frequencies he needed to talk to his friends.

"Ryo, Rika, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Loud and clear." Ryo reported with false excitement.

"Coming in here fine." Rika confirmed.

He could tell from the lack of noise on their end that the fighting still hadn't started, which was good, because he didn't want to interrupt.

"I'm adjusting to a one-way channel—I'll hear you but you won't hear me. You need to know anything, you let me know and I'll do whatever I can."

"Okay." Ryo said. "Good luck."

"Yep." Will replied quietly. "You guys take care."

He switched off his outgoing communications, but kept the channel open so he could still hear them. He looked at the readouts again, seeing that the Destroyer's army was getting closer. His mind raced to come up with something—anything else he could do to make the odds _any_ better for Ryo and Rika, but he couldn't come up with anything other than to treat the injured so they could get back out and fight.

They were under prepared—Takato wasn't with them. Cronus wasn't with them. Henry wasn't with them. Kazu wasn't with them. They'd only a few days to put their forces together, and they were outnumbered three to one.

He jumped as he heard the noise of the battle in his ear, and he shuddered as he unintentionally as he could hear the fight starting.

Will looked over to the door as Calumon and Giz entered.

"You didn't need to _run_ here, you know." Giz told him.

Will shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to make I wasn't forgetting anything."

"Well, that's good." Giz said reassuringly. "Did you come up with anything?"

"No," Will replied. "I think we're ready."

* * *

"Ryo, you've got one coming in up high, five-o-clock." Rika told him through the communicator.

He extended the red glowing blade from his arm in the direction that Rika specified, and felt something impale itself on it milliseconds later. He turned his head towards it briefly, seeing the Destroyer's agent disappear.

Ryo smirked a little. He'd forgotten what it had been like to be Justimon—his instincts, reflexes, power—they were so much greater than he could remember. His smile faded. It was good that he had power—he'd need it all to come out of this in one piece.

"Thanks." Ryo called back to her. He couldn't see where she was anymore, as the agents were swarming. "You doing alright?" he asked, punching one while dodging an attack.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Rika's voice answered. "I think we're—"

"One coming up from straight beneath you." Ryo interrupted as he spotted her, taking his eye off her again to deal with his own attackers. After he'd won himself three seconds of peace, he shot a look back over to see that Sakuyamon had taken care of it.

"Thanks." Rika told him.

Ryo didn't answer. The agents went down pretty easily—but there were so many of them. If they were to be lined up, if Ryo could fight each of them one at a time, he was confident that he'd come out on top…but he also believed that if a pack of wolves were fighting a bear, he'd bet his money on the wolves.

He forced himself not to think about what Rika had made him promise the night before—he never should have agreed to it. Even if he said he would, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep a clear head if something were to happen to her…

_No_.

Nothing was gonna happen to her. He mentally slapped himself, getting his mind back on track. He glanced around. Hyperion's army was holding its own—of the bodies on the ground, more belonged to the Destroyer's army. Of course, when it came to the bodies that had fully disappeared, Ryo clearly couldn't say.

Another glance at Sakuyamon told Ryo that there were, at the time, more flying agents than there were ground ones. Rika was doing well, and fortunately, Ryo was too. His eyes scanned around quickly, and he noticed that more of the fighting was taking place in the air than it was on the ground. He looked off into the distance, where enemies were still coming to join the battle, but noticed few—if any—of them weren't flying. Ryo knew it was time to change strategies.

"Everybody," Ryo called, still looking around. "It looks like the ground units have stopped coming in for now. All allied ground units, fall back to the city walls and make sure none get past."

Ryo regained his focus, and leapt high into the air, landing on the back one of the flying enemies.

"Good call," Rika grunted. "Almost sounds like you know what you're doing out here." She teased.

"Thanks," Ryo nodded, dispatching the enemy he stood on, before leaping to another to do the same. "We don't have enough flyers."

Ryo managed to repeat the process of jumping, attacking, jumping, and attacking several more times before he fell short and returned to the ground.

"We're doing alright." Rika assured him. "We haven't lost nearly as many as the Destroyer has."

_Well, at least we've got that on our side, then._

Ryo didn't answer, realizing he should stop distracting Rika. Ryo scanned around him again. The area was by no means clear of ground units, but there were far less than before—enough that he could now run around freely.

"Uh, Ryo?" Rika called.

"Yeah, I'm here, sorry." Ryo said quickly, silently cursing himself for not answering her sooner.

"There's more coming."

Ryo clenched a fist. "How many?"

"Here." Rika called, this time her voice coming from above him in addition to the communicator. She was above him, and extending an arm down. He jumped up, and she took it, and using Sakuyamon's power, Ryo was tossed up higher than he could hope to jump. High enough to see the advancing darkness on the distant ground that was the next wave of the Destroyer's assault.

Ryo dropped back to the ground gracefully, kicking a nearby enemy off of an allied fighter, then helping him up.

"You alright?" Ryo asked.

"Arm's busted up." The creature moaned.

"Work your way back to Atlas, get Will to fix you up."

"Thank you."

Ryo wanted to procrastinate thinking of a plan to deal with the next threat, but he knew he couldn't.

'_Takato..._' Ryo thought, again jumping on the back of one of the low-flying enemies, destroying it before it could carry him far. '_Where _are_ you?'_

* * *

Even though Takato's eyes were closed, he felt as if he could see. He knew it was just his mind playing tricks, though. Memories, really. He saw himself and Cronus in the presence of the Sovereign they'd hunted for, Baihumon. They'd saved the last of the Sovereign.

_No, it didn't happen like that._

The world seemed to reshape. It changed so that Reed was there, destroying Baihumon after a vicious fight.

_Wasn't like that either._

Things changed again, and this time it was something Takato recognized, but something he wished was false. Baihumon raised his fist to crush Reed, and Reed just knelt down, looked up, and fired an enormous bolt of crackling lightning, destroying Baihumon before it could land its attack.

And nothing was missing from the scene. There was no more to the fight, before or after. That was it. Reed had killed one of the most powerful digimon in under five seconds flat.

Takato hadn't been hurt during that so called 'fight'. But then Reed starting attacking him. He said he was going to take Cronus with him, but Takato wouldn't get out of his way, so Reed—

_Cronus? Did he—_

Takato's arm had been dislocated from one of his attacks. Cronus had reset it, and Takato had blacked out from the pain. It got blurry from there. Cronus had somehow managed to track down Jeri, and carried him there. Henry and Kazu were still with her, and Takato blacked out again, and when he woke up Kazu and Henry were gone, and Takato was screaming for Jeri to get away.

He felt cold, as if he were laying on a sheet of ice. He actually thought that he might have been, but when he inadvertently moved his right hand, he realized it was stone. He jerked to a sitting position quickly, though the stabbing pain in his head suggested to him that he lay back down, a suggestion to which he complied.

A loud metal sound came from his right, a door opening. He saw red underneath his eyelids, as light poured into the room.

"How're you feeling?"

_Jackass._

"Reed." Takato murmured, opening his eyes slowly, rolling his head to the side to see him standing in a doorway, walking towards him.

"Don't worry." Reed said calmly. "You'll regain feeling in your arms and legs in a few days, but your cooperation will be required until then."

_What the hell's he talking about?_

Takato wiggled his toes underneath his shoe, but didn't break eye contact with Reed. He still had feeling, and he knew he'd moved his hand before. He made the conscious decision, however, to appear perfectly still.

"For what?" Takato asked him.

Reed stepped to the side, circling Takato, though Takato didn't turn his head to follow him. He had to keep up the image—pretending he was farther out of it than he really was.

"You're not our interest, Takato." Reed said almost comfortingly.

_Our?_

"You and the Destroyer, you mean." Takato said slowly.

"Yes." Reed clarified. "But you can relax, you're not in any danger."

Takato rolled his eyes, and he could see that Reed had turned away from him. He took the opportunity to make sure his left leg was working too, as well as his left hand. They were.

"Right." Takato said sarcastically. "Oh, wait, didn't you throw me into a goddamn building?"

"Yeah, well, you were being a dick." Reed replied casually.

"You're a dick." Takato couldn't come up with anything better, and he would have wished he hadn't said it, but he felt it still needed to be shared.

"Good thing this is a mature discussion." Reed declared with fake sincerity. "Anyways, I'd asked you to get out of my way. More than once, even. Besides, the reason you can't feel your arms and legs isn't because of that. Those wounds have been treated, and you don't have so much as a bruise on you now."

Takato believed it. Aside from the headache, he wasn't in pain. And he was confidant he could deal with the headache—it had just taken him by surprise was all.

"So why _am_ I here?"

"A means to an end." Reed replied.

"What?"

"Let me walk you through this." Reed sighed. "What are our interests?"

Takato didn't want to play Reed's game, but he fell for it anyways. "Cronus…" Takato suddenly recalled.

"Right." Reed told him. "And what would be the best way to get to Cronus?"

_Me._

"What do you want with him?"

Reed laughed. "I'm not gonna explain my evil, evil plans, Takato. I'm not Alexander Valn, you know. But don't worry. You and _Henry_ will be free to go once this is all over."

_He got Henry too…?_

"…Jeri?"

"She managed to get away." Reed declared. "Last I checked she'd met up with Ryo and Rika in Hyperion."

_Hyperion?_

"What about Kazu?"

Reed didn't answer for several seconds, and Takato would have thought that he recognized the look on Reed's face as worry. "You don't remember?"

"Remember _what_?" Takato was losing what was left of his patience.

"I'm sorry, but Kazu's dead."

Takato's eyes fired open, and his teeth grit hard.

"I had no involvement in that, though." Reed said quickly, turning away. "He and Guardromon sacrificed themselves so that Jeri and the others could save Calumon from being captured from the Destroyer."

Takato was furious, which was timed perfectly with the fact that Reed was looking away, and he was very close to the table Takato was on.

"For what it's worth, I—" Reed began as he started to turn around.

Unwilling to lose his opportunity, Takato sat up, swinging his elbow into Reed's side as hard as he could.

Reed doubled over in pain, and Takato quickly got off the table to his feet, and—ignoring the headrush—brought his knee hard into Reed's face. The blonde young man fell backwards to the ground, but Takato wasn't ready to leave him like that. Takato climbed on top of him, grabbing Reed by the shirt angrily, pulling him closer. Reed was loopy but conscious, and Takato punched hard him in the face. And again. Reed was out with the third punch, but Takato didn't stop until somewhere around the sixteenth.

He felt nothing but anger for what happened to Kazu, and he had no qualms about expressing that anger to the one who was responsible for it. Reed's nose was bleeding, but since Takato had kept punching and punching, there was blood on most of his face, as well as on Takato's fist.

When Takato looked down at the blood on his hand, he didn't feel guilty, though. Not satisfied, either. Nothing at all.

Deciding it was time to find Henry and Cronus, he searched Reed, and came up with a knife he'd had attached to his belt. He contemplated finishing Reed off, but he couldn't bring himself to actually murder a human being, however deserving he was. Takato even knew he would regret the decision later, but he just wasn't ready to kill Reed. Not yet.

He started out of the room, but turned around to kick Reed in the stomach once more before he tucked the knife under his belt and peered into the hallway.

The walls were white, and looked almost metallic. The ground was polished stone, and Takato suddenly wasn't even sure if he was still in the digital world. But someone was coming. He ducked back into the room, pulling Reed off to the side, closing the door quickly and quietly. He kept it open a crack, and looked through as he waited for the creature to pass.

_Only gonna get one shot at this. If there's two, kill the first, question the second._

There was only one, though, and it was small. Takato held the knife against its neck and pulled the creature into the room.

"I'm having a really bad couple of days." Takato growled, staring at it as it backed against the wall. "So tell me where Cronus is, then I'll cut your head off."

It coughed nervously. Takato would have felt bad about threatening it, but he recognized it as one of the digimon that had captured him.

"You mean, 'or', right?" It stammered nervously. "Tell you, _or_ you'll…?" it trailed off anxiously.

Takato glared at it, unwavering.

"Where's Cronus?"

* * *

"Talk to me, Will."

The mention of his name took him by surprise, and Will switched his microphone back on.

"I—I'm here." Will told them, standing up as Calumon took over the creature Will had been working on.

"You near your computers?"

Will hurried over, walking backwards as he got Giz's attention, holding his hand out to indicate to him to wait a second. Will sat at the table, grabbing a hemostatic pen, and tossing it to Giz.

"I am—now." Will reported, sitting down. "What do you need?"

Will felt embarrassed having to ask, but he'd been focusing on the patients that were brought in. He thought he was doing well, though. He'd recognized each and every one of them, and was able to treat their wounds so that there wouldn't be any permanent damage. The downside of Will's devotion, however, was he couldn't keep track of Ryo and Rika.

"How many units does the Destroyer have left?"

Will ran the scan, but raised his eyebrow and scrunched his nose when the results came up. He ran it again.

"Will?"

"Did more bad guys just show up?" he asked, fingers on each hand crossed, hoping he was reading something wrong.

"Yeah," Rika answered. "But we can't sit here and count. What're you seeing?"

Will bit his lip, and ran the scan for a third time. "Thirty-four thousand, six hundred. Give or take."

"Give or take what?" Ryo asked hopefully.

Will looked at the results.

"We can trust this thing to be accurate to plus-or-minus fifty." He answered. "But it looks like there's seven thousand units in the wave that's coming, and you've got—six point seven thousand units."

"What?" Rika asked. "We've already lost a tenth of our side?"

"Yeah, but if there's seven thousand incoming, and thirty-four thousand total," Will explained. "then you're still hurting them faster than they're hurting you. But if things keep up the way they're going, it—it doesn't look good."

"We changing strategies, boss?" Rika asked.

"We're barely holding the line as it is…" Ryo said thoughtfully, as if to himself. "If we move to intercept them, they'd—"

The signal on his scanner suddenly pulsed stronger for a second—but just for a second. But a second was all Will needed, because he noticed something. Something he couldn't have noticed before.

"Wait a second." He interrupted Ryo. "The units that are coming, they're moving _up_ before they're moving towards you."

"What?" Rika asked.

"I think—I think they're coming up from underground." Will declared. "Or maybe some sort of portal, or something? They're not _actually_ near you yet, but if that's the case, then they're probably moving in something close to single file."

"So if we can get to them quickly…" Rika realized.

"Then we can catch them while they're just not expecting it, and we can thin out the numbers." Ryo finished.

It might have been the break that they'd been hoping for. It was a long shot, but Will was confidant that Ryo and Rika could pull it off.

_Now if only Cronus and the others were here._

"Well, that's comforting." Ryo declared hopefully. "Look, do me a favor, run another scan every five minutes. I don't wanna be taken off guard again."

"Yep. Got it." Will replied, standing up. Switching off his microphone, he grabbed a bed sheet and got back to work.

* * *

Takato slipped into the room quickly, but it turned out there was very few patrolling agents for him to hide from.

The room he'd entered was similar to the one he was in before. High ceilings, polished floors, table in the center of it. Table with a pile of—

—and his fear consumed him as he realized that the crumpled pile was Cronus, motionless on the table.

Takato rushed to him, gently turning his head toward him.

"Cronus?" Takato whispered in hope. "Cronus!"

Takato's heart started beating again when he heard Cronus whimper.

_Thank God—_

"Ta…kato…?" Cronus mumbled, his eyes still closed. Takato gently tapped his palm on the boy's cheek repeatedly, trying to stir him.

"Hey, Cronus, get up," Takato insisted, looking around, worriedly. "Come on, we gotta get moving, there's not a lot of time—"

Cronus's eyes fluttered for a second and then opened, and the boy shot up, looking around the room curiously, if only for a second. Takato took a step back as Cronus got onto his feet, his eyes still lazy and half closed.

"Can you walk?" Takato asked quickly, and quietly, still looking around. He literally jumped when he heard an incredibly loud noise behind him, and he spun to see that the large door he'd entered was now closed, and—he could safely bet—locked.

The room lit up, and Cronus looked around the room calmly.

Takato's instincts were screaming for him to run, but he couldn't find his legs.

"We gotta move, alright?"

The ex-digimon looked at him, head tilted to one side. He took a step forward and staggered, but Takato managed to catch him, and he put Cronus's arm over his shoulder to help him walk.

"Cronus?" Takato asked, trying to get a response as he started to walk the boy towards the door. "Cronus, stay with me!"

And before Takato could realize what happened, he was soaring through the air, and his back hit the wall hard, before he fell to his stomach. Cronus advanced on him as he slowly climbed to his feet.

"Takato..." He said quietly.

* * *

Jeri was on her way to the middle of Hyperion's central tower, Atlas, when she saw something around her change. It was faint, but she still managed to notice it—her shadow. It was on the ground in front of her, but it wasn't seconds earlier.

She turned around quickly, and, sure enough, she found the new source of light. Carter, glowing faintly, face as solemn as she expected.

"You…" she whispered.

"You must hurry to Takato." Carter said sorrowfully.

Her gut twisted at the mention of his name. "Is—he's alright?"

"You must hurry." The young boy repeated.

"_Is_ Takato alright?" she asked louder, frustrated.

A beat of silence.

"Yes." Carter finally answered, uneasily. "Although, if he continues the path he is on, he will die, along with this world."

"Wha—why?" Jeri stammered. "How?"

"The only one who can save this world is Cronus." Carter explained. "The only one who can awaken Cronus is Takato. And the only one who can save Takato is you."

_Awaken…?_

"I am the way to get you all through this." He went on.

"Telesto…" Carter whispered. "The Circle of Telesto have the means to get you to where you need to be."

Jeri scratched her head, frustrated. "Carter, right now I have about a million questions—"

"I will answer them when I can." Carter cut her off. "But first you have to get to Takato. Now. _Go_!"

Jeri took a few steps backwards, her eyes trained on the ghostly boy in front of her, but she decided to trust him again. She turned, and ran.

* * *

_Damn it_.

Ryo was grateful that some of the members of the Circle of Telesto had volunteered to join in the fight. He was pissed, however, that they did so at the last minute, because it didn't leave Will with the time to modify the code he put into Calumon to make them able to hear what was happening on the communicators.

_Well, could be worse._

He switched his communicator to transmit to the other units.

"This is Justimon." Ryo started. "There's an incoming wave of enemies, I'm going to move to intercept. Any units near Cerberumon, tell him to move to cover this position—right now I'm between the Methone and Helene towers, heading north. Any units near Grademon, tell him to head north and meet me."

"Got it." He heard a high pitched voice confirm.

"Confirmed." Reported another.

Ryo was impressed with how quickly they responded.

"Our orders?" it was Renamon's voice that came through, not Rika's.

Ryo would have smiled if he had the time. He was pretty glad Renamon and himself had started seeing eye-to-eye.

"How's your current position looking?" Ryo asked.

"We've gotten most of them." It was Rika this time. "There's still some, but our side is holding their own."

"The south wall could use some help." It was Will's voice who spoke. "a lot of the units on the west are moving counter clockwise. The south side'll be outnumbered five to one in…just about ninety seconds."

"You heard him." Was the only order Ryo gave Rika and Renamon as he continued to move north, flipping an enemy over his shoulder, stomping it as it hit the ground.

Ryo continued, killing six more on his way. He was almost hit hard by a seventh, but was saved by the help he'd called for.

For a second, Ryo'd almost sworn that it was Gallantmon, but he knew it was Grademon. A very good reinforcement, but he still wasn't Takato. Not that Gallantmon even existed anymore.

_Or Guilmon, for that matter…_

"Thanks." Ryo said with a nod, kicking two away. It took them several minutes, but they finally got to the point Will told him about. It was too late though, and many had already emerged. And Will'd been right, they were coming out one at a time—just really, really quickly.

"Take them out as they come through." Ryo called to Grademon. "I'll cover you."

After a nod, Grademon leapt over the horde, and Ryo did the same. It was their only chance of getting close, and it seemed to work. Many of the ones they'd jumped over would continue to Hyperion, which gave Ryo a fair chance to put his plan into action.

Grademon was fast. He was cutting down every agent that came through. Ryo punched one, then kicked it away, before spinning and stabbing one with the red blade on his wrist.

They managed to cover the point for several minutes before they became overwhelmed.

"We've done all we can here." Ryo grunted. "Fall back."

But Grademon attacked twice more, and that was all the opportunity the Destroyer's agents needed to slash him, straight down his back.

He screamed in agony, and Ryo moved over instantly, throwing Grademon's arm over his shoulder and pulling him away. He jumped several more times, heading back towards the city.

"Hey, you alright?" Ryo asked, grunting with the extra weight on him.

"Sorry," Grademon mumbled. "Haven't been in battle in a while. Got carried away."

"Nah, you did well." Ryo said encouragingly, trying to figure out his next move.

"I need two flyers at my position immediately. I'm just north of the city." Ryo declared.

The response was slightly slower than before, but it was still pretty fast. Within a minute, two bird-like digimon were there, and as they carried Grademon back to the city, Ryo rushed back towards the battle.

The next giant leap he made gave him a view of something to the right—in the distance—that wasn't there before. Another wave of enemies.

_No rest for the wicked._

* * *

"Will, can you hear me?" Will twitched a bit at the sound of Ryo's voice, which was unfortunate for the injured creature he was working on—his hand came very close to disturbing the wound.

"I—I can hear you." He stammered, readjusting his earpiece with his left hand while still working with his right, trying to pay attention to both Ryo and the injured digimon.

"There looks to be another wave in the Destroyer's attack." Ryo said quickly. "Can you tell me how many we're dealing with?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so." Will said somewhat confidently. He turned to Giz. "Hey, Giz, keep pressure here, will ya?"

He waited for Giz to take over before he hurried over to the table where his equipment was. "Just a sec." He called to Ryo, talking slowly as if it would make his scan run faster. He looked to the readings, doing the calculations in his head. "Looks like there's thirteen hundred new signatures." He reported, worried. He did the calculation again, quickly before he finished the sentence. "No—there's twelve fifty." He said with a nod, as if it was much better.

"Damn it." Ryo grunted, causing Will to wince. He looked at the numbers on the small screen in front of him before his eyes widened and a smile found its way onto his face.

"You're still outnumbered," Will reported quickly. "With the damage you and Grademon did on that last wave, it's about—four-point-four to one. It was three to one when the fighting started."

"Goddamn it." Ryo sighed, frustrated.

"It could be worse. It would be closer six to one if we were doing badly." Will tried to be optimistic.

"Good to know." Ryo told him expressionlessly. Will wanted to think of something—_anything_ he could pass of as good news, but couldn't, since it just wasn't possible. "Alright, I'll let you get back to work, then."

"Okay, be careful." Will said quietly. He was fairly sure that Ryo'd stopped paying attention by the time he'd started to talk, but he still wanted to say it.

He chewed on his lip, looking around the room. Giz was still bandaging the digimon that Will'd asked him to take care of, and Calumon was bringing a bowl of water over to another. Things were getting pretty full in there—he needed to make some room.

_Uh, where?_

Most of the ground was covered in blankets, with sleeping-bag-sized sheets spaced evenly, injured digimon resting in them. He looked behind him, to the table on which he'd set his scanning equipment and the medical supplies. The most open space was around that table.

He decided to move the table to the back corner. It would be a hassle to get things from it to the other side of the room, but it was the most efficient way to make room for more injured.

_This room's not enough_.

He moved it out of his mind, deciding it wasn't his place to complain. He started to push the table when he heard Calumon calling from behind him on the other side of the room.

"Will!"

"Yeah?" Will turned, looking at him. Will's eyes widened as he saw what Calumon was yelling about. A large, red insect-like digimon was on the wall next to Calumon, which Calumon was backing away from quickly. Will didn't know enough about digimon to know whether or not it was big by their standards, but it looked to be about a square meter, which was a big bug by his own experience.

Will didn't know what to do. But before he couldn't figure out what he _should_ do, the creature was off the wall, and charging at him.

He froze. He had no idea how to fight—heck, he'd been in one fight in his entire life and Ryo, Cronus and Takato bailed him out of it.

It pushed him forcefully, and Will was shot backwards, his back bashing against the corner of the table hard. He cried out in pain, and as the creature towered over him, he had the courage to search for a weapon, but came up emptyhanded. He breathed quickly and heavily through grit teeth as he waited for it to disembowel him, but it screamed in pain and took a step back, and Will saw that Giz had attacked it from behind.

"Will!" Giz snarled, not taking his eyes off of the agent, which had turned to face him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He grunted, standing up, rubbing his back. The table had torn the skin, leaving it sensitive, though he fortunately wasn't bleeding. "How did that get in here?"

"I have no idea." Giz said more calmly, slowly circling the agent, taking care not to step on the injured.

Will looked around frantically. Giz sent a Pitfall attack at the agent, and it seemed to stagger it, but only for a second. Within the next second, it had leapt into the air, and it soon was inches away from Giz. Will charged, shoving the agent as hard as he could, and—to Will's surprise—it fell, which was enough for Giz to get on top of it and start clawing it furiously.

A nearby injured digimon staggered to its feet and started attacking, but Giz ordered it to get back and to stay out of it. Will was taken aback, and was even more confused when Giz stopped attacking, and the creature stopped moving. It turned out that Giz was a capable fighter if he absolutely needed to be.

"Isn't it supposed to—disappear?" Will asked after a few seconds.

"Only if it dies." Giz confirmed.

Will felt worried again. "It's not…?"

Giz shook his head. "We can't get any information from it if it's dead."

_Ah._

Will realized that Giz was planning on interrogating it. He wondered how long it would be before it woke up.

"Will, help me tie this thing up." Giz said quickly.

"Okay." Will replied quickly. "Calumon, go get Jeri. Hurry!"

"Got it!" Calumon called as he scurried out of the room.

* * *

"Cronus!" Takato shouted in disbelief, climbing to his feet quickly, despite the pain all over. "What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing, Takato?" Cronus asked curiously, pausing in his step. "Aside from barging into my world—uninvited—and barking out orders?"

_What?_

Takato inhaled sharply. "What did Reed do to you?"

A snicker was followed by a quiet laugh, and Cronus shook his head a little. "I can control it now."

_Control—_

"—your power." Takato whispered quietly. Cronus's power came at the cost of his humanity. "Cronus, this isn't worth it."

"Why not?" he sounded doubtful.

"Because you'll lose yourself." Takato told him. "You won't feel anything. You'd—you might as well be dead…"

A malicious smile crept across Cronus's face. "Thank _God_."

The blonde-haired boy charged at him before Takato got another chance to speak.

* * *

"Where's Takato?" Jeri's arms were folded over her chest as she stared down at the Destroyer's agent, who Giz and Will had tied up.

No answer.

"Where's Takato?" she repeated louder, crouching down and leaning in. The agent avoided her gaze, and Jeri forced her grip on his face, squeezing until he looked her in the eye. "Where _is he_?"

She stared at the hideous red monster—in any other situation it would be intimidating. Fortunately, Giz had managed to subdue it, so it wasn't altogether threatening. Unfortunately, however, was that it wasn't cooperating, and Jeri simply didn't have the time to be civil. She turned to Wisemon.

"Kill him." Jeri ordered.

"What?" Wisemon and Will asked in unison.

"Analyze its data, find out what it knows." She went on. "Once you find out where it came from I need you to send me there, okay?"

Will spoke up. "Jeri, this thing's _alive…_"

"I know." She cut him off. "This doesn't have a thing to do about the value of life. It's that three of my friends may die because it won't tell us what we need to know."

She could tell that Will knew she was right, but that he was still bothered. She didn't have time to justify it any further, though, because she knew Wisemon agreed with her. She turned back to him. "Go ahead."

* * *

"What's the word, Will?" Ryo asked hopefully, slaying two more agents.

"Creepy." Will muttered spiritlessly.

_Not sure I want to know_.

"Hey, that ambush you and Grademon pulled off—it worked. Whatever they were coming from is all closed up now, I'm not reading any advancement from that area."

Ryo barely hid his smile, ducking an attack. They might make it through.

"No 'but'?" Ryo clarified.

"Nope." Will concluded. "It's still four-point-four to one, and we're—hey, Rika? There's a group of flyers just west of you picking on the ground units there—sorry. It's four-point-four to one _still_, and I've got a whole lot of guys here all patched up and on their way back out to fight."

"That's what I wanna hear."

Ryo was feeling hopeful, but he tried not to get overconfident. He still had a lot of work to do.

* * *

Takato wiped some of the blood off his face with his arm, but it made more of a mess than he'd initially hoped for.

"Why'd you do it?" Takato asked simply.

Cronus tilted his head again. "Do what?"

"How can you betray me like this?" Takato demanded. "I gave you _everything_ I could—"

"Full of yourself." Cronus muttered, advancing. "Your friends—"

"They're _your_ friends too." Takato said clearly. Cronus was getting closer, but had dropped out of a fighting stance. He was just—walking.

"Your friends are going to die because of your 'leadership'." Cronus went on coldly. "So many are going to die—and all from trusting _you_!"

As Cronus shouted, Takato thought he heard a hum. The room even vibrated the slightest bit. Takato probably wouldn't have noticed if things hadn't been so tense—

—and something happened: Cronus wavered. He looked to the ground, closing his eyes. He shook his head a bit, as if trying to hear something that Takato could hear.

"Cronus…?" Takato whispered, taking a step closer to him. He looked like he was having a headache.

_Or maybe he's waking up…?_

He was right next to Cronus in a few seconds. And Cronus looked him in the eye. "You are going to die _so_ horribly."

Takato hit him in the face hard.

* * *

"H—hello?" Will's voice came in clearly. "Ryo? Rika? Is anyone there?"

Rika dove down, swooping up a small digimon instants before it would have been destroyed, dropping him a few feet away.

"I'm here." She heard Ryo grunt. She looked down to him in worry, but he seemed to be alright.

"Me too." Rika said quickly, looking around for another opponent.

"Guys, there's like a dozen new portals opening up. The Destroyer's agents are coming out _everywhere—_guys've gotten inside the city. A few just got loose where we're taking care of the wounded."

"You guys safe?" Ryo asked, concerned. Rika understood he was worried, but she really wished he was paying more attention. She jabbed an agent with the bottom of her staff before swinging the top around to hit two more.

"Yeah, but the city won't be for long."

_Damn it…_

"Ryo," Rika started carefully. "if we can't hold the city—I mean, there's a lot of innocents in there—"

She trailed off. Rika didn't quite know how to say it—they were going to lose. If they didn't start a retreat, the Destroyer's army would tear through every single life in Hyperion.

"I know." Ryo admitted finally. "Will, start evacuating any non-fighting units—"

"Another nine thousand enemy troops are approaching," Will called, cutting him off. "Three from the south, six from the west."

"_What_?" Rika and Ryo both called in disbelief.

"They'll be in range in—six—no, seven and a half minutes." Will said hurriedly. "That's _not_ including whatever comes through those portals."

"Will, where the _hell_ are they coming from?" Ryo asked frantically.

"I—I don't know—the sensors can only read so far, I have no idea how many more are coming."

_Damn it damn it damn it damn it—_

Another nine thousand enemies? _Plus _the ones from the portals? They were outnumbered already…Rika took out another agent before noticing two enemies coming at Ryo from behind him.

"Now another ten thousand." Will went on suddenly, shocked. "Now another nine—"

"Ryo, two coming at you up and to your left." Rika called. She looked away, knowing he'd take care of them.

_Two._

It seemed so insignificant.

She went up higher, trying to get a better view to report to Ryo. When she got high enough, she could see one of the groups that Will had mentioned. She was pretty sure it was south that she was looking, so it would have been three thousand. They just had a few minutes left until that group caught up with them.

"Will, how quickly can you get the civilians organized?" Rika heard Ryo ask.

"I'm with the injured right n—hang on a sec." Will replied. Rika could hear him speaking quietly off of the microphone. "Giz says he can get them together in about a half hour."

"Think that's enough time?" Rika called.

"We don't have a heap of choice." Ryo grunted. "Tell Giz to go ahead, get the civilians out of here. I want twenty-five percent of available air units gathering the wounded—get them back to Atlas. The rest, head west—there's another two thousand enemy units coming in fast. You'll still outnumber them if you hold position. Leave what's here to us. Ground units, hold your position. This is gonna get bad."

Rika was breathing heavily in her panic. Something wasn't right.

"Ryo, we're missing something here." She tried to explain.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, these—_things_—they're not any digimon we've ever even heard of, and between the two of us we know them all." She grunted as she picked up a wounded ally under each arm. "And this number—it doesn't make any sense. How could there be an army of almost forty thousand that nobody's seen in all this time? These things are basically coming out of nowhere, and we can't—"

"I know, Rika." Ryo cut her off. "But we really don't have enough choice here. We've got to hold them off long enough so the city can be evacuated."

"I think this fight's too much for us." She admitted flatly, quickly.

It wasn't that Rika wanted to give up, she just knew that they couldn't win the fight. She wasn't trying to be heartless, it was just—the truth. She hoped Ryo understood that.

"Rika, we—" Ryo stammered.

"Now another eight thousand; north northeast" Will interrupted. "now another ten…"

_Oh my God—_

"Will, I need you to go find Jeri." Ryo decided, his heart racing. "Tell her to let the Circle know that there's almost twice as many as there were when we star—"

"Jeri's gone."

_Gone…?_

"What?" Rika asked indignantly. "What are you talking about?"

"The guy that broke in, one of the Destroyer's agents?" Will explained. "We got the location of Takato, Cronus, and Henry from it. Jeri's gone there to find them, then they're gonna take out the Destroyer."

"_What…?_" Ryo whispered too quietly for anyone to hear. "But _Cronus_ is…!"

"We don't know that, he might—"

"We don't have time for this again." Rika growled. "How's Jeri planning on getting there, and how long ago did she leave?"

"She left just a minute ago, and the Circle used their power to transport her there. They're all drained of a lot of energy. I'm working on them, but it doesn't look good."

_Goddamn it_.

"Ryo," Rika's voice came in clearly through Ryo's earpiece. "these guys just keep coming. I—I don't know how long we can keep this up."

She knew that Ryo was gritting his teeth, it was what he did when he was frustrated. If she were him, her head would be starting to hurt paying attention to everything and everyone around. she just couldn't keep up with it—she personally couldn't fight _and_ keep track of what was going on with everyone else, but Ryo had to.

Unfortunately, he wasn't answering her.

"Attention any available units!" Ryo finally shouted, scanning the area around him, taking note of everyone's positions, opponents, strategies. "Fall back to Janus's tower—cut open an escape path for the civilians and annihilate anything that goes near th—"

Rika froze. Everything seemed to stop. She knew what Ryo was going to say—what he was _supposed_ to have said—but no sound came out, and when she looked over to see what was wrong, her heart was the next thing to stop.

Everyone was where they had been—Justimon was where he had been—Rika could see him, even though she was far away. But what she saw clearly, was the reason Ryo stopped talking. Ryo's order was cut off by a blade two feet long that was sticking out of his chest—one of the Destroyer's agents had impaled him from behind. Because Rika couldn't see any facial expressions because of Justimon's helmet, she was certain that he was—

Justimon grunted as the agent pulled the blade back out, spinning around while sending a Justice Kick into the chest of the agent who had impaled him.

"Ryo!" Rika called, too scared to move, to ask more, to—

"I'm…" Ryo's voice came in through the communicator. "I'm all…right…"

Rika tried to rush towards him, but was cut off by a group of three advancing agents in front of her. She dispatched them quickly, and continued towards Justimon.

_Gotta get to him, gotta help him, gotta_—

She was cut off again, and before she knew it, she was surrounded on all sides. She gripped her weapon, and tried to think of a strategy, but all she could come up with was to play off of her instincts—and every cell in her body was screaming at her to get to Ryo. She swung her staff at the nearest agent and it disappeared on the impact, but another came to take his place.

As Rika herself became overwhelmed by the assault, she got a glimpse behind them, and she watched helplessly and in horror as Ryo fell, and instants later all she could see was the battle below that consumed him.

"_Ryo_!"

* * *

Takato's punch made Cronus stumble away, but Takato's fist remained clenched.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Takato demanded.

"You…!" Cronus shouted, pausing for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut, before they shot back open, and stared at Takato viciously. "You just—you think of me as some overgrown two-year old that you have to babysit all the time!"

_What…?_

"Cronus I didn't—"

"I _never_ asked to be human!" Cronus growled, advancing. "I never asked to be a digimon—I never asked to ever be _alive_! I never—"

"This isn't you!" Takato interrupted him, holding his ground. Cronus stopped in his tracks.

"You don't know me." Cronus said coolly. "You don't know anything _about me_!" Cronus swung a punch, but Takato shifted his weight back, and jumped to the side. Takato wound up on the ground, but Cronus just looked at him as he climbed back to his feet.

"That's not true." Takato insisted.

Cronus's head tilted to one side. "Why is my hair this color?"

"What?"

"This face." Cronus went on, taking a step forward. "My eyes. Where did they come from?"

Takato looked at him in the eye. "You were in a part of the digital world that was being experimented on by Valn, and—"

Cronus kicked him in the stomach, and Takato fell to his knees, winded. Cronus began to circle him, slowly.

"You're not saying anything I don't already know." Cronus growled.

"I don't understand what you're asking—" Takato coughed.

"Billions of lines of code." Cronus said with false enthusiasm. "That's all I was—all I am. But this appearance—this—_body_. Why do I look like this specifically? _You_ were my one tether to your world, yet I was given an appearance that looks nothing like you. Do you understand what I'm talking about?" he asked dryly.

He did. "I don't have the answers for you." Takato declared, sorrowfully. "And I know that maybe Reed does. But is it really worth betraying everything you are—everyone you care about?"

"I have power. That's all I need." Cronus smirked, before looking grim again. "And once you're dead it'll be all I have left."

Another kick to the stomach, and Takato fell once more to the hard floor, coughing. He just didn't know what to do—the boy that stood in front of him—it _wasn't_ the Cronus he knew. It looked like him, but it—it just wasn't.

"Even if you haven't been human long…" Takato started. "you're still the best one I've met."

Cronus rolled his eyes, but let Takato continue.

"This power you have—it'll destroy you. Your friends."

"I don't have or _need_ friends." Cronus corrected.

"I wonder what Mala would say about that?" Takato challenged. "You two took care of each other for months. You're like a brother to her."

Cronus looked down. Takato had hit a nerve, and so he kept going.

"Or Will?" Takato continued, more aggressive "Do you have _any_ idea how much he looks up to you? He thinks of _you_ as family just as much as he does Ryo. Please, Cronus. Let's just leave here. _Together_. We can go back to the real world, and live normally. I swear that you won't be alone, and I'll do everything in my power to help you figure out what's—"

Takato didn't realize his mistake until he'd already said it. He shouldn't have used the word 'power'.

"I don't need them—_or_ you!" Cronus growled. "You're not making a difference—you don't even _know_ what power is!"

But he'd seen it coming. Takato ducked the next punch, and raised his knee hard into Cronus's stomach, causing him to double over, coughing. He stepped back, bringing his foot up hard into Cronus's chin, knocking him back and down to the ground. It worked against Reed, and it worked again on Cronus. But Cronus was up within a second, and he slammed his shoulder into Takato's chest, sending him reeling.

"You can't stop me—" Cronus declared furiously. "_Nobody_ can stop me!"

Takato wrapped a hand around the handle of the knife under his belt, but only for an instant—he knew he couldn't go through with using it…he couldn't kill Reed, and he certainly couldn't kill Cronus. But he knew he had to stay on the offensive, because Cronus wasn't in the state of mind Takato was used to him being in.

"Cronus," Takato said, staring him in the eye across the room. "This—what's happening—this isn't you."

A malicious smile crept across Cronus's face. "Is that what you think, Hero?"

Takato recalled Reed saying the exact same thing to him, and for a moment, Takato began to consider that whatever happened to Cronus might be beyond Takato's ability to fix.

"Back when we first met…when you were Guilmon?" Takato started, getting a glare from Cronus that seemed to chill. "I didn't know what was happening. It seems like forever ago…but I don't think that I had ever been so scared as when I first saw you."

Cronus advanced quickly, swinging a punch which clipped Takato's cheek. Takato tried to strike back, but things were blurry, and Cronus was out of his reach, once again a good distance away from him.

"But it all changed once I realized that you were more good-natured than anyone I'd ever known." Takato insisted, shifting his footing around to try to compensate for the room spinning.

Again, Cronus struck him hard, then moved away just as fast before Takato could retaliate. Takato shook his head quickly, trying to straighten his vision out, but only to minimal success.

"After you got turned human, you didn't remember me, and I didn't recognize you." Takato said, not taking his eyes off of Cronus, whose expression hadn't changed since Takato started talking. "But you still protected me. And Mala, and Henry, and Noria…even though she hated you, you still wanted to protect her…it's in your nature. And when she died—"

"Shut _up_!" Cronus hissed. Grabbing Takato by his collar, he punched him in the face, and Takato started to fall before Cronus threw him with inexplicable strength across the room.

_Struck a nerve again_.

Takato's body was aching all over, but he wasn't one to give up, and he forced himself to his feet, concentrating on Cronus in an attempt to make the pain less noticeable.

"And after everything, you chose to stay human, so you could stay with me." Takato said sorrowfully. "I can't imagine what it's been like for you, Cronus. You didn't get a childhood…or family, or anything to define you."

Takato suddenly found himself wishing his other friends were there with him. Jeri and Ryo were much better with words than Takato was…but he rejected the thought immediately. Cronus—Guilmon was Takato's responsibility, not theirs. Cronus was in the center of the room, and Takato started to circle him as he spoke.

"I'll never believe that you—that the _real_ you is evil, Guilmon." Takato said sincerely. "And I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through."

Takato dropped his gaze to Cronus's feet, and as soon as he saw them start to move, Takato prepared himself. As Cronus charged, Takato grabbed his arm, swinging himself behind Cronus. He stepped on the back of Cronus's knee, and putting his hands on his shoulders, slammed him to the ground, kneeing him in the back of the head on his way down.

Just as quickly, Takato pulled Reed's knife from his belt, climbed on top of him, and pressed the blade against Cronus's neck, causing both to freeze in anticipation.

"_Do it._" Cronus growled, his teeth grit.

Takato's breath was held, his body locked, his mind trying to guide him but the rest of him not listening. He looked up from the blade to Cronus's face, and his body started listening again when he saw that there were tears in Cronus's eyes.

"Do it!" Cronus yelled.

Takato pulled the knife back, stood up, and took a step away. Cronus jumped to his feet and advanced on him, grabbing him by the neck with both hands, but Takato didn't even flinch, as Cronus wasn't squeezing. Takato found that he himself had stood up and actually backed away a step.

"Just do it." The blonde ex-digimon repeated, his tone changing, climbing to his knees, his hands dropping. "Please Takato, please just do it…please just—just do it…"

By the time Cronus was finished, he was on the ground, his face against the floor, his arms cushioning his forehead, and his crying was the only sound that cut the silence. Takato just didn't know what to do. He was positive that it wasn't a trick. Cronus could have killed him if he'd wanted to. But Cronus never wanted that. He wanted Takato to kill him.

He was staring at the boy on the ground in front of him, in the middle of the room. But he didn't dare to move, and even though the hand that touched his shoulder took Takato by surprise, it took him several seconds to turn and see Jeri standing there, her head tilted towards Cronus, indicating that he should go over there.

He had no idea how she'd gotten there, and he felt like he'd forgotten how to speak, so he didn't ask. Takato was in a daze, and before he knew it he was walking over to Cronus, and he knelt down beside him, gently placing his hand on Cronus's back.

* * *

"Rika!" She snapped back into reality—thinking it was Ryo, but it was Will's voice to come through the communicator. "Rika, can you hear me?"

Her body tightened, and she opened her mouth to speak, at a loss to explain to the boy what had happened, but coming up with little.

"Ryo's dead." She stated blankly, her instincts dulling, everything becoming blurry from the tears.

"Rika?" Will asked frantically, clearly aware that he didn't have her full attention. "No, he's not…he—Ryo's alive!"

"He was impaled," she explained slowly, "and then he—"

"_Rika_." Will barked loudly. "I'm looking at the scanners, and I'm telling you _he's still alive_."

At first, Rika had thought that she'd misheard him. But his message echoed in her head several times in the next instant before she let herself believe it.

"What?" Rika called in disbelief. "Where—I—I don't see him…"

She looked down again, the air thick with flyers, the ground nearly covered in battle.

"I can't pinpoint the exact location, but he's near you." Will said quickly. "I see something that matches Cyberdramon's, and an unidentified one right next to him that's gotta be Ryo."

"You're sure?" Rika asked desperately, even though she knew she wouldn't be able to bear it if he turned out to be wrong.

"Yes." Will confirmed. "It's Ryo, and he's alive. But I think he's unconscious—he's got vitals, but he's not moving, and his communication channel's still open."

"He can hear us?"

"Well," Will began thoughtfully. "If he's faking it, then yeah."

_Faking it…?_

Something clicked in Rika. They'd made a deal the night before—if one of them were to die, the other would keep fighting regardless—they wouldn't give up, like Rika felt she was about to. Ryo hadn't died—he just didn't want her worrying about him.

_Too bad for him._

"Ryo," she growled, sending a Spirit Strike into a nearby cluster of enemies. "I swear if you don't answer me right now—"

"Huh?" Will asked. "Rika, what are you—"

"If I find out you can here this, Ryo, I'm going to beat your sorry ass to a bloody—"

A split second later, she had her answer.

"You really are a pain in the ass, you know that?"

She smiled holding back tears, looking around, sending out a few more attacks to give herself some room.

"Ryo?" Will asked.

"Yeah," Ryo replied weakly. "I'm here."

Rika looked around again, trying to figure out if she actually heard him because she might have been close or if it was just the communicator. She couldn't see him, though. There were far too many enemy flyers, she could barely see the ground.

"Ryo, I don't see you." She told him.

"And you're not gonna." Ryo growled. "Stop worrying about me and keep your guard up."

"If I can save you, I'm gonna take the risk whether you want me to or not." Rika snarled.

"For God's sake Rika," Ryo pleaded. "Please, just fight."

"I _am_ fighting, Ryo." She pleaded. "You said we have to fight to protect this world, but that's not enough—you and me, Ryo. _That_'s what I'm fighting for."

"We made a deal." Ryo grunted, his voice enough to illustrate his pain to Rika, who had to fight to not burst into tears herself. "Don't drop your guard for me—you've gotta live through this."

"The deal was stupid." Rika protested, almost childishly. "We fight together, we survive together, and when we go home, it'll be _together_. Now please—tell me where you are."

A few seconds of silence passed. Rika was just about ready to snap on him when she heard Ryo speak.

"Cyberdramon, send an attack straight up."

Instants later, Rika spotted the Desolation Claw—the beacon—and she sped over, weaving between the battle-ridden skies, and dropped to the ground quickly.

Sure enough, there was Ryo, sitting, legs outstretched in front of him, hunched over, one hand clutching his stomach, the other propping him up. Cyberdramon seemed to be faring better, and he was holding off the agents that advanced, though Rika could tell that he was tiring—he was moving slower than he usually did.

"Ryo, can you get up?" she asked.

"No." he admitted.

_Renamon, I need to go to him._

In a flash of light, Rika was herself, her reflexes and powers dulled to the levels of a human. Renamon quickly got behind Ryo and sent a Diamond Storm to protect his back. Rika hurried over, and pulled his shirt up enough to see the wound. Ryo grunted and winced, but Rika didn't waver. The wound where the blade had gone through wasn't there—Cyberdramon must have gotten the brunt of that one when they split from Justimon. But it looked like he'd bruised or broken a couple of ribs, and when she asked he said it was hurting to breathe.

"Uh, guys?" Will called. "Two more unidentified signals just popped up, it's different than the others, and it's headed straight for you. One's close to Renamon's, but it's—different."

"How long?" Rika asked.

"Under a minute."

_Damn it, thanks for the notice._

"We gotta get you out of here." Rika finally said. Ryo nodded, and she put his arm around her, trying to help him up. But they both fell when the ground shook, and Rika gasped, and she spun to see Cyberdramon's body land near her, and the dark digimon lay silent as he fell unconscious, the Destroyer's agents advancing on him, Rika, and Ryo from the area Cyberdramon had been protecting.

"Cyberdramon!" Ryo called struggling to get up, before gasping in pain as he moved.

Renamon moved to cover the area, and she was successful, but since she'd left her previous area unguarded, a new cluster of enemies had filled the gap, and were moving towards them, fast.

"Renam—" Rika started, before the agents were destroyed in a fiery blaze.

_Fire? That's not Renamon's—_

"Destruction Grenade!" a familiar voice called. Another explosion, and more nearby agents disappeared.

_The unidentified signal? It's really…?_

"Well hey there, kiddies." Kazu grunted, dropping seemingly from nowhere, before Guardromon landed next to Renamon and joined the fight.

"Kazu…?" Ryo asked weakly.

"You're alright?" Rika gasped.

"Don't have to sound so upset about it."

"N—no, I mean—" Rika stammered.

"Just messing with you." Kazu smirked. "Hey, Ryo, you look like crap." He declared, hurrying past him to Guardromon's side, scooping up some sort of blade off of the ground that one of the agents had dropped before turning to Rika. "He alright?"

"We need to get him back to the city." Rika answered.

"Both of you get out of here, _please_." Ryo pleaded. "Just this _once_, please listen to me."

"Nope." Kazu sneered.

"Not a chance." Rika announced quickly.

"What's happened here won't mean anything if you don't live to see it through!" Ryo challenged.

"I'm not gonna leave you here." Rika told him, tears in her eyes.

"Save it, Rika." Kazu called, dodging an agent's swing but falling to his back, impaling the monster with the blade he'd picked up as it prepared to jump onto him. "We'll all live to argue another day."

Another _thump_ next to her, and Kazu's backpack sat fresh in the dirt, and he called back to her as he stood up and swung at an advancing agent—while not hurting it, he was managing to stop it from moving forward.

"Green pouch." He instructed. "Inject him."

Rika dug through it for a second before pulling out a green plastic case with a syringe inside.

"Kazu, is this—" Rika asked.

"It'll dull the pain enough for him to get back to the city," Kazu explained as he backed closer towards them. "as long as he doesn't try to biomerge or fight, it'll give him enough energy to move if he's careful."

"Where'd you get this?" Ryo asked him.

"Long story." He replied.

"_What?"_ Rika's jaw dropped. "How'd you get it—"

"Is now _really_ the time?"

_He's right._

"Sorry." Rika murmured.

Rika prepped it, rolled up Ryo's sleeve, and prepared to insert it, before she unintentionally made eye contact with Ryo, and he saw the fear on her face, causing him to smile weakly.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered.

She put the needle in and emptied its contents, and as Ryo grunted in discomfort, Rika couldn't bring herself to look at his face.

* * *

Ryo was on his feet in seconds.

"Hey, be careful." Kazu sounded. "Like I said—overexert yourself and you'll be back on the ground just as fast.

Ryo nodded, and started walking back towards the city, his arm over Rika, who helped him walk. He felt weak. He _was_ weak—but he was moving.

Kazu'd saved him. Ryo hadn't seen _that_ coming. Jeri would be so happy to find out he was okay…

An attack came at them, and Rika pushed Ryo to the ground, and herself on top of him, as it went through the space they were walking through.

"Thanks." He told her as she pulled him to his feet again.

"Yep." She replied. But another two came at them, and they had nowhere to go—until a flash of yellow was in front of them, and Ryo realized that Renamon had just taken the blow for them. She fell to the ground weakly.

"Renamon!" Rika called. Ryo took his arm off her and she ran to her partner. Ryo glanced back to Kazu, who was still fighting off the agents. He and Guardromon were both following, slow but steady.

Rika had grabbed a dropped weapon and beaten away what had hit Renamon. Another glance back. Cyberdramon had moved between him and Kazu. Ryo's heart sank as he realized how exhausted and injured his partner was. But Cyberdramon suddenly growled, and Ryo realized that a swarm was targeting Rika.

He didn't have a choice—he biomerged in an instant, and destroyed the entire group. The pain hit him harder then being impaled had. He separated from Cyberdramon again, and both dropped to the ground gasping. Kazu had warned him not to. But he didn't have a choice…he didn't have—

Rika rushed to him, her face dirty and flush, tears in her eyes. She didn't say anything though, and just nodded as she turned back around to fight away whatever came close to them.

"Damn it, Ryo." Kazu growled as he got closer.

"S—sorry..." Ryo gasped, trying not to scream from the pain.

"Don't be. I get it." Kazu replied quickly. He was carrying what looked to be some sort of metal rod, and he swung it like a baseball bat. Ryo watched as the weapon shattered as it destroyed an agent, leaving Kazu weaponless. But he kept fighting with his bare hands.

The next sound that stood out was another metal sound, but this time it was Guardromon falling to the ground and not getting up: Ryo saw him start to turn into data.

"No—no!" Kazu cried, rushing over, dropping to his knees.

"I'm sorry…" the robot replied empathetically. "I just don't have the strength to—we made a good team though, right?"

"Some team." Kazu replied sorrowfully, through a weak smile. "I can't even protect you."

Ryo noticed it before Kazu did—the light. At first, Ryo thought it was the little boy that had led him to the prophecies about the Destroyer—that had led Rika to finding Will in Hyperion. But he soon realized that the boy was nowhere to be seen, that the light was coming from somewhere else—two places, actually. From Calumon—who'd made his way to Ryo—and from Kazu's D-Arc.

* * *

Cronus gathered himself together, and sat up, his face still covered in blood and tears, staring at Takato.

"I'm sorry, Takato." He whimpered, his eyes tracing the floor. "Please don't hate me."

"No. I'm the one that's sorry Cronus." Takato implored. "I never wanted this to happen. I put so much pressure on you, and I had no idea that you were feeling what you were. I never wanted this to—I don't hate you."

"Guys…" Jeri's voice was soft but clear as the silence was split open. "The others are in trouble."

Takato looked at her, and his eyes widened. He'd almost forgot that she'd just appeared out of nowhere. "What…? Jeri, how did you get—"

"The Destroyer's army's attacking the capital of the digital world." She interrupted. "Now."

"_What_?"

"Rika and Ryo organized as many fighters from the city as they could, but they were outnumbered three to one when the fighting started, and it was closer to five to one when I found out where you are."

"W—we gotta go help them!" Takato stammered.

Cronus gasped, lifting himself from the floor quickly, and though his face was still a mess, he stared Takato in the eye. "I can make it stop—I know how to save them…!"

"You do?" Jeri asked hopefully, taking a step forward. "But how can—"

"Follow me." Cronus ordered, running out of the room. Takato took a step but stumbled, but Jeri caught him, putting his arm around her and helping him walk.

"Hurry!" Cronus called loudly. "There's no time!"

* * *

"Guys," Will spoke quickly, only pausing for an instant. "I've just detected a massive amount of power right near you—you've gotta get out of there, I can't figure out what it is—"

"That would be Kazu." Ryo replied.

At least, it was until the biomerge finished. After the light subsided, there stood HiAndromon. About seven and a half feet tall, it was only a little taller than Andromon. Shining black armor, a red spiked pad on its left shoulder, a blue one on his right. Its hands were enormous metal gloves, with claw-like fingers.

_Robocop on steroids._

"Didn't see that coming." He heard Kazu's voice come from it.

"Really? I kind of did." Guardromon replied casually.

"Kazu…" Rika said anxiously, peering behind HiAndromon.

Ryo watched as Kazu turned to notice the agents that were advancing. He heard Kazu grunt, before his and Guardromon's voices shouted "Death Boom!"

A crackling purple ball of energy fired from HiAndromon's hands, eliminating the agents promptly.

"Let's go." Kazu's said quickly, leaning over to pick Ryo up.

"Guys!" Ryo heard Will shout. "Another gate opening up, north-north-west, right near you. You gotta move, _now_."

"Kazu." Ryo said quickly, shaking his head before he could be picked up. "Incoming, five o' clock."

HiAndromon spun around as the gate opened in the ground. It looked like the one Ryo had seen with Grademon, but it was bigger. A lot bigger. There were hundreds advancing, and advancing quickly.

"Kazu…" Rika said again, nervously.

"Okay." He said, breathing heavily, concentrating.

He extended his hands, but nothing happened. Ryo was concerned that he wouldn't know how to control the attacks well enough—when Ryo first biomerged to Justimon, it took him a while to get the hang of things…but Kazu didn't have that kind of time.

"Atomic Ray!" HiAndromon shouted suddenly. A blinding beam shot from both of HiAndromon's hands, and it _tore_ through the Destroyer's agents—if Hyperion hadn't been at their back, Ryo would have expected it would have torn the walls to hell.

As quickly as they arrived, those agents were gone. HiAndromon spread his arms, preparing to absorb the data.

"Don't absorb it." Ryo warned him. "We don't know if it's infectious."

HiAndromon stopped, the data floating away before he absorbed any. "Oh. That's probably a good idea—let's get going, though, we're not safe yet."

Ryo hazily looked around. Kazu was right—they were surrounded.

* * *

Takato stumbled into the room with Jeri's help. He ached all over, and the knife attached to his belt was poking his leg with every hunched-over step he took, but he kept going. Cronus had led them to a room that Takato almost recognized, but he wasn't sure just then from where he'd seen it.

The room was about the size of Takato's bedroom back in Shinjuku, but it had at least a dozen large computer towers, about two cubic meters a piece, and a desk with six monitors above it. Two of them were off, and the other four had text on it that appeared to be a code of some sort.

"The army that's attacking the city—" Cronus stammered. "It—they're being run from this room."

"What are you talking about?"

"These machines—they—everything's done from here."

Takato was certain that his heart stopped. "You can _stop_ them?"

"I think I can, yes." Cronus said, sitting down.

"Did the Destroyer make this equipment?" Takato asked, looking around. The room was giving Takato a sense of déjà vu. The way the computers looked, the strange shape of them, the spacing of the terminals along the walls—Takato could have sworn it was identical to a setup he'd seen at Hypnos.

"I don't know." Cronus replied. "If _I'm_ the Destroyer, then no, if I'm _not_ the Destroyer, then—maybe."

"Maybe it was Reed, then." Takato murmured. "This place is definitely human-made."

"Priorities, guys." Jeri said quickly, pointing at the terminal that Cronus was operating. "Will it work?

"I'm trying, but it's not—what…?"

"What? _What_ what?" Takato asked frantically. "What're you seeing?"

"The normal shutdown would take hours…" Cronus started, staring at the screen, confused. "But someone's put an emergency one in here. It's _really _well hidden…whoever _made_ this device? It was someone _else_ made this override."

Jeri looked to be understanding it better than Takato was, but he figured it out instants later. Reed. Either the Destroyer had turned on Reed, or Reed was turning on the Destroyer.

"Can you activate it?" Takato asked.

I'm trying, but it's—there's so many things blocking it I—there, there's just one barrier left—" Cronus stammered anxiously, his face suddenly changing to horror. "I can't finish it. I—I need a code."

"What?" Takato asked helplessly. "We don't _know_ any code—"

"The way to get us through this…" Jeri suddenly whispered, her jaw dropping in shock as she figured something out.

"Jeri…?" Takato whispered. "Wh—"

"Carter." Jeri interrupted quickly. Takato looked at her, perplexed, as did Cronus. She repeated herself. "The code is Carter."

Takato caught Cronus's look as if for approval before the blonde boy turned back to the computer, and quickly typed in the name Jeri spoke—the name Takato was certain he'd heard Reed speak, too.

There was a faint humming, followed by a series of beeps. Cronus looked at the patterns of letters and numbers—of _code_, then turned to Takato and Jeri. He nodded. "It's done."

* * *

Ryo thought he was going to die. He thought they _all_ were going to die. Until the Destroyer's army stopped moving.

"W—what's going on out there?" Will asked anxiously. "These power readings—they don't make any sense."

"They're just—" Ryo murmured, trailing off.

He looked around worriedly. It _didn't_ make sense, but it was happening anyways.

"Disappearing." Rika finished for him.

"Some kind of trick?" Kazu asked, looking around carefully, his body in a stance to move in an instant.

"I don't think so…" Will said thoughtfully. Ryo could tell from the inattention in his voice that Will was occupied with something—presumably figuring out whatever was happening. "The energy that made them, it's dispersing. It's all returning to the world."

"None of it's going anywhere in particular?" Rika asked. It _would_ be just Ryo's luck that it all formed some gigantic super-monster, but Ryo was okay with no fight at all, too.

"What?" Kazu asked, confused. Ryo realized that Kazu wasn't wearing an earpiece, and Ryo tapped his own to remind him.

"It doesn't look like it's a trap." Ryo clarified quickly. "I think it's over."

"_It'll never be over."_ Reed's voice echoed in his mind. Ryo hid the sigh that came, knowing he wouldn't get any answers if he were to question it then and there.

Ryo looked around in wonder, as the agents disappeared from sight allowing himself to enjoy the moment. When there was a flash of light from beside him, he didn't even feel compelled to acknowledge that HiAndromon devolved back to Kazu and Guardromon.

"Things are clear out here…" Rika stated. "What are things like inside the city?"

"Uh, I think they're okay." Will confirmed. "Giz just left to call off the evacuation."

Soon enough, the field and sky were both empty of the Destroyer's agents, leaving only Hyperion's own army.

"Gather the wounded, head back to the city." Ryo ordered the army. "We're clear."

* * *

Takato felt his body start vibrating. "What's happening?" Cronus looked as confused as he was, but Jeri seemed to understand what was going on.

"They're pulling us back." Jeri explained quickly, as things got brighter and whiter. "No, not yet!" she called desperately. "Henry's still in there!"

Things became clear again, and Takato found himself elsewhere. Surrounded by his friends.

"Nah, they found me first." Henry said with a smile.

Jeri threw her arms around Henry, who hugged her back. Cronus had Takato propped up, though Takato knew Cronus was probably feeling as crappy as Takato was.

Ryo was standing next to Rika, who was standing beside Will. Giz was standing in front of Will.

"Hey, Cronus!" Will cheered, rushing over to him. "I got to help out during the fight—how cool is that? _Oh_, and wait 'til you see all the cool stuff they have here…they gave us all these _huge_ rooms with all this stuff in them, and they've got these neat machines that make this _woomp_ sound that they wanted me to look at—can you help me out with it? Actually, I was trying to draw some sketches of the real world for Giz here, but you're better at them than I am, so could you help me with that instead?"

Takato was behind Will, so he couldn't see the excitement in the boy's face that Cronus was able to see. Takato was, however, able to see the smile that came to Cronus's face in response. It seemed like the first real smile Takato had seen on him in a long, long time.

"Yeah." Cronus nodded quietly, evidently trying to hide a smile. "I'd be happy to."

Takato hobbled his way over to Kazu. He hugged his friend before he actually said anything. "Don't you ever fucking let us think you're dead again." Takato said very seriously. "Understood?"

"Okay." Kazu nodded after shrugging. "Glad you're okay—_are_ you okay?"

Takato coughed before he laughed. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to see Henry, who was looking at him sympathetically. "I'm so sorry I wasn't any help, Takato." He said, guiltily. Takato flashed him a reassuring smile.

"Tell you what," Takato suggested. "You can have the next apocalypse, alright?"

Henry laughed and finally nodded. "Okay. Deal."

The next voice Takato heard was Rika's, but she was talking to Kazu. "So, since when do _you _kick so much ass?" she grinned. "That was incredible!"

Kazu scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, I've only been _letting_ you win all those games over the years. Hate to break it to ya." He replied smugly. "Rematch, after we get back home?"

"Oh, for _sure_." Rika laughed. "Hey, remember that time you killed like three hundred of those things in three seconds flat?"

Takato then felt a hand tug on his arm, and he turned to see Ryo, tilting his head to one side, telling Takato that he wanted to speak to him away from the others. They didn't leave the room but moved to the other side of it.

"I'm glad you're okay." Ryo said with a smile.

"Yeah, me too." Takato agreed, solemnly. "How're your ribs?" He hadn't been told that Ryo had been injured, but it was fairly obvious from the way he was carrying himself.

"Oh, well, same old." Ryo winced as he shifted his weight around. "You know what happened on my end of the fight, but what happened with you?"

Ryo pointed at a spot under his eye on his own face, indicating the bruise Takato knew he had on his own.

"Reed, or the Destroyer, or—" Takato sighed, giving a shrug. "Or _whoever_ played some mind games on Cronus, made him think he was something that he wasn't."

Ryo looked concerned. "So Cronus had been brainwashed this whole time?"

Takato shook his head. "I don't think so, no. But Reed had _him_ convinced that he was behind everything. He was so sure he was that he tried to—" Takato paused, glancing over to the others to ensure himself that none of them could hear him, noticing that Ryo was doing the same. "Cronus tried to get me to kill him."

Ryo's expression sank further. "I'm so sorry, Takato."

Takato stared at the ground for a second as he recalled what had happened—what had _almost _happened.

"How'd you bring him around?" Ryo asked quietly.

"Let him pummel me for a bit." Takato shrugged. "And just—I reminded him of all the good he's got in his life."

Ryo looked confused, but didn't ask for clarification. Which was good, because Takato really didn't feel like reliving it.

"Anything else I'll want to know?" Ryo asked slowly.

Takato sighed. "I had the chance to kill Reed."

Ryo's right eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Back before I found Cronus." Takato recalled. "He thought I was sedated, but I managed to knock him out. I took his knife, but I—I couldn't do it."

"Takato—"

"After everything he's done—everything he was planning to do…I—I should have done it."

"Nobody's gonna hold anything against you for not killing a person." Ryo explained flatly, his expression not one of pity or empathy, but sternness.

"Yeah?" Takato asked doubtfully. "He still has the power of the Sovereign. What about the next time he—"

"_Nobody_ is going to blame you." Ryo repeated flatly.

Takato smiled inwardly. He missed his friends since they'd split up—split up, but wound up in the same place anyways.

"Are you alright?" Ryo asked carefully.

He nodded to his friend. "Yeah, I think so. I guess it was just a really depressing couple of days."

A beat of silence spread before Ryo interrupted it. "So Rika and I got together."

Takato's eyebrows raised, and a grin crept across his face. "But—wait a sec. That would have required _guts_, and last I thought about it, you didn't have any."

"Jackass." Ryo mumbled, embarrassed.

"Really, I'm happy for you guys, though." Takato added with a smile. "Besides, it's been a long time coming."

Takato looked over to Rika, who was laughing and joking with Jeri, Will, Guardromon, and Kazu.

He felt guilty that he hadn't given it any thought, but figured it was better late than never. "How and _when_ did Will get here, anyways?"

"About a week and a half ago." Ryo answered. "He wanted to make sure everyone was okay."

"He was around for the big battle?"

Ryo nodded. "Yeah, he managed to save most of the injured that were brought in. Turns out he works well under pressure."

Takato looked at the boy for a second, and then to Giz, who was at the boy's side. "You think he'll get himself a D-Arc sometime?"

"Yeah," Ryo replied quietly. "I think he will."

Takato paused for a moment, once checking that nobody could hear. "Did you tell him he's your brother yet?"

Ryo's face looked thoughtful, and Takato realized he was trying to think of an excuse.

"No," Ryo admitted. "Still working up to that one. I'm not gutsy, remember?"

"Yeah, I keep forgetting about that." Takato answered with a smirk.

Ryo saw Takato peer over his shoulder, and Ryo turned around to see Wisemon among his friends, beckoning the two of them over.

Ryo nodded, and a glance to Takato told him he was ready to go. Ryo blushed as his friends gave him a round of applause—no, the sound was too loud to be just his friends…he soon realized that hundreds more had entered the room. Mostly some of the soldiers he'd been ordering around, but he noticed a few civilians that hadn't been fighting.

Ryo just kept grinning, and the noise died down as Wisemon tried to quiet everyone to speak.

"Everyone—_everyone!_" he called, the room eventually quieting down. "Hyperion has shown the Destroyer what it is capable of."

Ryo felt Rika squeeze his hand as Wisemon continued to speak to the people. He leaned to hear what she had to say. "Wisemon offered Renamon the fifth position in the Circle."

"What? What did she say?"

Rika shrugged. "She wanted to know what I thought…I mean, it would be such an opportunity for her—and—she could really help out here."

He squeezed her hand back, not sure of what to say. There was no point in talking about it right then—they _deserved_ to celebrate. He knew that Rika had realized that as well, and he felt her hands on his shoulders, and her breath on his chin as she leaned up and kissed him.

Something was off, and Ryo could tell that Rika had noticed it too, and they carefully pulled away—only to see the room had gone silent, and everyone was staring at them.

Of course, only Kazu dared to break the calm. "Okay, when did _this_ happen?"

* * *

"Your failures are inexcusable." The voice boomed over the silhouetted screen. "Not only did you fail to capture Hyperion, you've also cost me not just Cronus, but Takato as well."

Of course, Reed was well aware of what he was doing. He had given Takato a second injection to counter the sedatives, and had even allowed Takato to pummel him sixteen times. He gently touched one of the many bruises on his face, wincing.

Reed rolled his eyes. "For starters; maybe if you actually bothered to make your army not _suck_ so damn hard, they might have taken the city. Second, Cronus is a lost cause. He's loyal to their group, and the group to him. Takato wouldn't kill him, even though he thought Cronus had betrayed him. Third, you were the one who abandoned station, not me—if you hadn't left the terminal that controlled the army, they wouldn't have fell apart so quickly. And fourth, I haven't failed _once_. Everything went according to plan—so stop complaining."

Reed knew he shouldn't be risking so much by being so rude to the Destroyer, but he was crabby with the sacrifices he had made earlier.

"According to plan? I've lost forty percent of my army."

"Oh, gee, so you only have a few hundred thousand left?" Reed sneered sarcastically. "Get over it. I've already located and destroyed the last remaining Sovereign."

"You found Ebonwumon?" it was a total change in tone.

Reed snickered.

"It wasn't difficult." He smirked. "A turtle with giant trees from its back? He'd buried himself underneath Sarian. I just tore the forest down until he showed himself."

Of course, Reed had known where Ebonwumon had been since day one, and had actually absorbed him days earlier—he just figured it was time to let the bossy bastard know about it.

"So phase one's complete…" The screen flickered, as did the voice that came from it.

"Perhaps you haven't failed me as much as I thought you have." Henry spoke coolly as the voice on the screen became clearer. "In any case, things will be moving along much quicker now."

"Why'd you let them pull you out of this place?" Reed asked. "After all the work put into extracting you from them?"

"I'm closer to what I need when I'm here." Henry replied.

Reed raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you weren't going to interfere?" It was something Reed hadn't accounted for—Henry had said so many times over that damned screen that he was leaving things in Reed's hands. Reed had contemplated the possibility that he'd be removed from the spotlight for failing, but not for succeeding.

Henry smiled darkly. "Things have changed. I'm not going to hold back anymore."

With that, Reed dropped the communication, and the Destroyer disappeared from his sight.

* * *

So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this! I hope it wasn't too plot-hole-y. I know that updates on this story have been infrequent, so it's kind of a pain to follow. To clarify, the 'second consciousness' in Cronus was Carter, not the Destroyer. Back in Chapter 8, Ryo learned that the Destroyer was killed, but what was left was 'forced into the ground'. That would be referring to that underground place that Rika and Henry got sick in, in Chapter 3. So, Henry's been evil since then, which is when those scenes with Reed talking to the 'figure' on the screen (Henry) started.

Kazu surviving is gonna be explained over the next few bits, and it'll introduce a pair of new characters (a brother and sister, working names are Max and Emma), though I'm not planning on having them in the spotlight for very long/at all, since there's already a bunch of characters to work with. Basically, they'll explain how Kazu survived, and they'll be brought back in later to explain fill in the blanks for Ryo's memory loss.

So, the four Sovereign are gone, but there's still that fifth one, which the next few chapters are gonna deal with. But yeah, since the four are gone, things are gonna _start _falling to shit, but not entirely. They'll find out (among other things) how they can meet The Guardian in Chapter 20. Chapter 21 is going to explain in detail the motivation behind everything Reed's done so far (believe it or not, I have been thinking ahead here), and Chapter 22 has them meeting the Guardian, as well as explaining that incident mentioned in Chapter 9, about what happened 13 years ago that's causing all this; but I've got at least two very different endings in mind for that one. When we get that far, I'll post whichever ending I didn't use in the forums.

As for the characters' stories outside the main plot, Takari Freek mentioned a while back that Mala hadn't been mentioned in a while. Reason given _in_ the story was that she didn't have a partner, and didn't have anything to offer the team that they didn't already have. Actual reason is that she's dating Henry, and she'd have noticed too early that he's a bad guy. (Also why Terriermon hasn't been brought in yet). So, I haven't forgotten about her, and she'll be around a bit more in Chapter 23+ish working at Hypnos.

Blah, blah, blah. Review!

Thanks for reading!

-N


	17. Born To Fight

Thanks for all the support on the last update, I know it was a big read.

This chapter's mostly about Cronus, but only somewhere around half of it's from his POV, the rest of it rotates around the same events, from other characters' perspectives. Reason being for this is some of the events wouldn't really work the same if it explicitly stated what Cronus was thinking. Second reason is that aside from those little pieces in Chapter 15, this is really the first time since Flux that I've written in Cronus's POV. Besides, this way all the characters get to shine more than they would otherwise.

So, this takes place the morning after the fight. That means the team's been in the digital world about 25 days. I have the actual timeline on my other 'puter, but I'm on my laptop in an amazingly comfortable chair right now.

Anyways, this one doesn't advance the main plot a whole lot, but I'm hoping it's a solid read. If the story worked with any character other than Cronus, I'd probably just post it as a one-shot (Actually, it would probably just never get written, 'cause I have so much more to write for _this_ story).

Like I mentioned in my profile update, this chapter's heavy on the ongoing themes of friendships and responsibility.

It's been a while since I had a good old "Previously:" segment, so I should probably do one of those to hint at what's important that's already happened.

Anyways, enjoy. Dedicated to Squirt!

-N

* * *

**Previously:**

Cronus looked to her, almost helplessly. "How do I stop feeling like this?"

"You just have to work through it. I hate Reed too…I just try not to let it get to me." Rika frowned, wishing she could give him some real way to help him. "But it's not all like this. There're other feelings that can fill you up that actually feel good."

"Like what?"

"Friendship, compassion, honor—" Rika answered almost immediately, before pausing. "Love…"

/ / /

"It's just—the more human I feel…" Cronus went on, slowly and uncomfortably, his face shifting expressions between every few words. "The more power I lose."

/ / /

"Why did you get up?" Reed asked him.

Cronus didn't answer at first, and a beat passed. "You need to be stopped."

"Maybe," Reed said contemplatively. "But we both know you don't have the kind of power to stop me, or the Destroyer, for that matter."

Another beat, but this time Cronus didn't reply, so Reed went on.

"But you could have the power. You know that, right?"

"W—" Cronus stammered. "What?"

"Your powers…" Reed told him. "Are virtually limitless."

/ / /

"I don't need them—or you!" Cronus growled. "You're not making a difference—you don't even know what power is!"

Takato ducked the next punch, and raised his knee hard into Cronus's stomach, causing him to double over, coughing. He stepped back, bringing his foot up hard into Cronus's chin, knocking him back and down to the ground. But Cronus was up within a second, and he slammed his shoulder into Takato's chest, sending him reeling.

"You can't stop me—" Cronus declared furiously. "Nobody can stop me!"

/ / /

Takato pulled Reed's knife from his belt, climbed on top of him, and pressed the blade against Cronus's neck.

"Do it." Cronus said coldly.

/ / /

"Just do it." The blonde ex-digimon repeated, his tone changing, climbing to his knees, his hands dropping. "Please Takato, please just do it…please just—just do it…"

/ / /

"So phase one's complete…" The screen flickered, as did the voice that came from it.

"Perhaps you haven't failed me as much as I thought you have." Henry spoke coolly as the voice on the screen became clearer. "In any case, things will be moving along much quicker now."

"Why'd you let them pull you out of this place?" Reed asked. "After all the work put into extracting you from them?"

"I'm closer to what I need when I'm here." Henry replied.

Reed raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you weren't going to interfere?"

Henry smiled darkly. "Things have changed. I'm not going to hold back anymore."

* * *

**Born To Fight:**

It had been almost two weeks earlier…everyone had just split up—Cronus had been paired with Takato. They'd come across a village, and they'd been hopeful…Takato thought that the leader might have known where to find Baihumon one of the two remaining Sovereign.

The leader was a Kudamon. He didn't like Cronus much…he'd made Cronus stand outside while Takato went in to talk to it to get the information. Cronus had pretended not to care…but why had it hated him so much? At the time, he supposed it didn't matter…what was important was that Kudamon told Takato where to find Baihumon. Besides—Cronus had just been outside, and the door wasn't exactly soundproof, so he had been listening in, anyways.

Kudamon had told Takato that 'this' all started thirteen years ago—and that to save the future, they'd have to uncover the past. Thirteen years…Cronus looked like a 16-year old, but he was really just under three. Takato, Jeri—even _Ryo_ weren't around the digital world that at that time. Carter—the boy that almost everyone had seen except Takato and Cronus—he apparently didn't look that old. Reed, however…

Cronus had been told by Jeri that when she experienced the digital world's predicted future, Reed had told her he first came to the digital world when he was seven or eight years old. Word around the team was that Reed was 19. Cronus figured that they were off by a few months, and he was actually 20, or maybe turning 20 soon. Cronus _knew_ that Reed was connected to whatever happened back then. There were few things he was more sure of than that.

Cronus hadn't been able to hear the last bit of Takato's conversation with Kudamon, as it had started speaking quietly, but the gist of it that Cronus had gathered was that he wasn't going to tell Takato where Baihumon was.

He recalled Takato's expression of frustration as he stormed out of the small house.

"Takato?" Cronus asked as Takato walked past him. Cronus matched his pace, giving Takato some room. "What did he say?"

"That I'm alone in this." Takato had muttered quietly.

_Alone…?_

It was such a horrible suggestion…Takato wasn't meant to be alone. He was Cronus's favorite person in the whole world—in _both_ worlds. Takato would never be alone.

"I'll be there for you." Cronus had said suddenly, Takato stopping in his tracks, who turned to him curiously. "Always."

Cronus didn't usually make promises for fear of breaking them. In Cronus mind—at that time—it had been a promise. But he'd broken it not two hours later, when Reed attacked them after killing Baihumon. Cronus had tried to detach himself from his fear for Takato—so that Cronus could get his power back, and fight Reed. But it hadn't worked. He had detached himself to the point where he just didn't care anymore. About his best friend.

Earlier that day, Cronus had shared with Takato what he had discovered—that the more he felt, the more power he lost. Reed had confirmed it, telling him that it would eventually kill him. But after he had almost let Reed kill Takato, he didn't care anymore. He wasn't going to let anyone get hurt because of his lack of control. Another promise. Another _broken_ promise.

Because it had happened again, after they had been captured by the Destroyer. Takato had escaped somehow, and he came to get Cronus. He couldn't explain it, but the mindset Cronus was in at the time…he _wanted_ to die. To make the pain go away. He taunted Takato, hit him, provoked him into fighting back, until Takato finally had a knife against Cronus's throat. But he had been scared, and Takato had figured out what Cronus was trying to do.

Everyone thought Cronus was the Destroyer. Ryo had apologized again and again for believing it. Cronus told him it was alright, that even he believed it. But it still hurt. A lot. Jeri, Rika, Henry, Kazu—all of them thought it was him. Ryo'd made it very clear, though…Will never believed it, even for a second. Neither had Takato.

He was able to find some comfort in that.

Way back when Cronus had first figured out he was Guilmon, he'd been in a place of the digital world where _all_ the digimon had been turned human—a plan by Valn to make the digimon easier kills. Since Cronus had become the only one there who _knew_ what he was, he'd been able to access the unused power of the digital world that all the other lifeforms _should_ have been using. The result was power, and a lot of it—but there was more to it than that. At the time, he'd been _connected_ to the digital world. He had been able to _feel_ what all the villagers felt—what Takato, and Henry, and Mala felt. He was even able to know what they were thinking about. When that—ability—went away, he didn't think he would miss it: it gave him a headache.

Even without a supernatural sense of perception, though, Cronus could feel the death that surrounded him. Tens of _thousands_ had died surrounding Hyperion, good and evil alike. Nobody else seemed to be able to sense them like Cronus could, though. He supposed it was possible that some of the data had spread about the city, and he was just seeing memories from the battle, though. There was so much death…

And just fifteen hours earlier, too. Of course, Cronus hadn't slept. Part of the reason was that he went to find a glass of water, and had forgotten where his room was. He'd run into Will, though, who gave him the proper tour of the city. He'd felt guilty for troubling him, but recalled what Takato had said about Will looking up to him. It gave him another reason to keep going.

Will had explained some connections he'd drawn from Hyperion to the real world. Hyperion was a moon of Saturn, and so were all the towers in the city, too. He also mentioned how Hyperion was a titan in Greek Mythology, as was Atlas, and even 'Cronus'. Cronus had been named by Mala, though, so he doubted the parallel had been intentional.

"Hey." Jeri whispered, poking him in the arm. He had been spaced out. "You haven't eaten anything."

It was breakfast. A big one, too. It was in a giant dining room in Atlas. The Circle, or some of their people had set up an enormous meal for everyone. Cronus wasn't sure when the meal had actually started—or for how long he'd been reflecting.

He smiled convincingly at Jeri. "Sorry, just tired." He explained quietly. "I can't sleep well when I'm not in my own bed."

Fortunately, nobody but Jeri had noticed Cronus had just been sitting there, so he didn't have to explain it any louder. He really did miss his bed. He remembered when Takato's parents had taken him to buy one, and Cronus didn't think it was fair to have to decide on one without being able to sleep on it first. It had been Jeri who had helped him pick out one that he later came to appreciate a great deal.

She smiled back at him, then suddenly indicated the food, albeit subtly. "Okay, I have no idea what's good."

He looked to her plate, which had an assortment of food on it, but only small bites taken out of everything.

Cronus bit his lip. A lot of it even he didn't recognize. The digital world didn't ship food around the cities, so he knew most of it was probably unique to Hyperion's area. Still, there were a few things that seemed to be common to areas he was a little more familiar with. He pointed to one of the plates within Jeri's reach. "Try those."

The tray had small cups on it with blue liquid-y contents. It had the consistency of oatmeal, and so he understood why Jeri gave him a doubtful look.

"It's better than it looks." He told her. She squinted at him, and handed him a cup as well.

"You first." She challenged.

He smiled back, and ate a spoonful. Cronus compared it to fruit salad that was put in a blender for a few hours, only more sugary. Sweeter. He watched as Jeri closed her eyes and tried some as well. She smiled wider as she realized it was good.

"Told you so." He said quietly, teasingly.

She nodded. "Yeah, you did…any other suggestions?"

He shrugged. "I don't recognize a lot of this stuff." He explained.

"Really?" Jeri looked surprised. "So this stuff isn't very common, then?"

He shook his head. "No...I don't think so, anyways. This stuff's a lot fancier than what I'm used to, so even if I have tried some of these foods, I don't recognize the way that they're prepared."

Cronus made a decision to leave out the fact that as Guilmon he typically ate bugs. One of the things he'd learned in the real world from Takato's mother was that that didn't make for very good table conversation.

She pointed to a plate of what _looked_ like apples. "What about those?" she asked, reaching.

He gently pulled the tray away from her, earning himself a curious look. "Caterpillars live inside." He said with a wince.

Her jaw dropped. "Really?"

"No," Cronus shook his head. "But they're dry and they taste like sandpaper."

She poked him hard on the arm, making him flinch. He looked at what everyone else was eating. He saw an object on Kazu's plate that was shaped like a piece of asparagus, but was the color of a red pepper. It was actually a kind of berry. He pointed the plate out to Jeri, who had Kazu pass the pile of them to her. She and Cronus each took two. They were tasty, and surprisingly filling.

Cronus finally realized he hadn't been listening to what anyone aside from Jeri was saying, and he looked around to make sure he wasn't unintentionally ignoring anyone.

"Uh, Jeri, are those good?" he heard Will ask. Will's plate was empty, and Cronus could tell from his expression that he was too scared to eat anything. Jeri passed him the plate, saying that Cronus had recommended them, and he started eating.

Ryo was having Guardromon heat a cup of water, and was apparently drinking instant coffee—however the hell he managed to find _that_ in the digital world was beyond Cronus, but he knew Ryo liked coffee, so he was glad that his friend had something he enjoyed. Beside Ryo was Rika, who was staring at a plate of purple things suspiciously, pointing.

"Has anyone tried those things yet?"

Takato raised his hand. "They taste like glue, but they're pretty filling." He said thoughtfully. Rika took one on her fork and sniffed it cautiously, before sentencing it to sit on her plate.

"You _would_ know what glue tastes like." Ryo taunted him.

Takato shrugged. "Hey, third-grade shop class was an experimental situation, okay?" he defended himself, before pointing at Ryo. "And how many cups of that are you planning on drinking? I can see you shaking from here."

"Can not." Ryo defended, taking another sip. Takato probably couldn't. But Cronus could see his left pinky finger vibrate ever so slightly. Cronus tried not to stare.

"So for _lunch_…" Jeri started enthusiastically. "How about Kazu tells us how he made it here?"

Kazu paused. "Nah." He said.

He hadn't given anyone many details, as far as Cronus knew. What he'd said publicly was that he had been hurt pretty bad by the Destroyer's agents, and that he could hear them saying that they weren't supposed to kill him, and that they'd be in trouble if he was found like that. So they dragged him and Guardromon away—to hide them…but the minute they'd left him unattended, he'd been rescued by another human.

Cronus thought Kazu had called him Max, but he wasn't sure. Anyways, the guy had helped Kazu get healthy again, and then pointed him towards Hyperion, where he apparently made a heroic entrance in the battle. Cronus was glad Kazu was alive and well, but he was also confused. He didn't understand why Kazu was hiding the details about how he survived—didn't he trust everyone?

Jeri scraped her fork against her plate, defeated, as Cronus knew she realized Kazu wasn't going to say any more at the time. Will was the next to speak.

"So what do you guys think of the city?" he asked curiously. The question must have been directed at everyone except for Rika and Ryo, who had been there longer than the others. Everyone took their turn saying how nice everything was, and talked about the rooms they'd spent the night in. Only Henry remained quiet, and Cronus thought he was the only one who had noticed—until Will asked him.

"What about you, Henry?"

Henry looked up from his food, which didn't appear to have many more bite-marks than Rika's. "Oh, it's remarkable." He said with a smile. "I think we're very fortunate to have found a place like this."

Everyone agreed. The capital of the digital world was an important place to any digimon, and Cronus was glad that Henry seemed to understand that. It was the very best that their world had produced—the best it could produce.

Cronus suddenly heard a series of three beeps. At first he'd thought he was going insane, but everyone stopped, and looked around curiously.

"I think it's coming from upstairs." Jeri finally said.

Takato raised his eyebrow towards Will. "Isn't your room right above here?"

Will stood up, and nodded. "Something probably needs a battery change—I'll go take a look."

"I'll come, too." Cronus said as he stood up, carefully pushing his chair in. "Just in case."

Jeri too, stood up. "Me too." She said. "I'm full, anyways."

Cronus could tell that the others were all ready to go with them, but as far as they knew, there wasn't any reason they'd _all_ need to go. Jeri apparently knew it too, and she gently touched Takato's shoulder, saying that they'll let them know what's up, and to enjoy their meal.

He followed Will and Jeri upstairs, to Will's room—and to the computers he'd set up. Cronus was impressed with what he was able to put together, mixing digital world resources with real-world technology.

"What do you think it is?" Jeri asked casually.

Will shrugged. "Not sure." He admitted. "I only _made_ the devices, but I have no idea what all they _do_, if that makes any sort of sense."

Cronus wondered if he was the only one who was concerned about what was happening—what had stopped happening, rather. The beeping had stopped.

"Well, guess we'll find out now." Will murmured as he pushed the door open. He sat down at the computer he'd set up. There were a lot of exposed wires, but Cronus figured that that was because Will had been experimenting when he put it together. From what Will had told Cronus, the Circle of Telesto were eager to provide him with whatever materials he needed, so he was able to accomplish a great deal. His most recent project was to refill those dart guns Yamaki had given them when they'd first got to the digital world. Well, gun—the one Ryo had had been broken back at Sarian, and Takato's had been lost when the Destroyer's agents took them. The one that Jeri had was the only one left.

The computer that Will had made—Cronus didn't quite understand how it worked. The scanner from Hypnos was connected to it, but Will had the screen from the digital world display the data numerically, instead of visually. The reasoning behind it was that the screen given to him by the Circle could only display letters and numbers, and the field of vision from the scanner was too small to have been much help during the battle. So Will had come up with a more effective way to use the scanner—even if it meant only _he_ could use it.

Will hit a few keys, while Cronus stared at the screen, trying to decipher the pattern that the letters and numbers ran up the screen.

A beeping sound, and Cronus stopped trying—instead looking to Will for the answer.

"Um." Will murmured.

"Something wrong?" Jeri asked.

Will hit a few more buttons, and the same pattern of beeps followed. Cronus went back to looking at the pattern so the anticipation wouldn't bug hum.

_The first thirty numbers in any given line never have digits higher than 8 or lower than 3, and the letters never go past 'e'…_

"A portal's opened up." Will remarked, shocked.

"What?" Jeri asked. "When?"

He shook his head. "I—I don't know . There's barely any trace of it anymore—the ones yesterday left behind these, like, little bits of data that were different than the others, so they were easy to track." Will explained. "But—I don't get why this one wouldn't leave anything."

Will looked back to the screen, and hit a few more buttons. A single beep. "Okay, I'm seeing a lifesign." He said, staring at the program Cronus still couldn't figure out. "It looks human."

"Reed?" Jeri asked with some nervousness.

Will shook his head. "Nope, I don't think so. From what you guys've said he's capable of, he'd definitely read different than this—this is reading just like a normal human would."

_Click_.

"Okay…" Cronus started quietly. "So I think I know why this portal didn't leave behind any trace."

Jeri and Will just looked at him.

Cronus bit his lip. "Maybe because the ones from yesterday were from the digital world, and this was from the real world?"

The pair looked at him nervously. It was a bad thought, but it had to be considered. "If we've lost three of the four Sovereign, then maybe things are starting to—fall apart?" he suggested carefully.

"What should we do?" Jeri asked.

"Whoever it is, they don't seem to be conscious." Will said.

Cronus paused. He wanted to go tell Takato and the others, but if the person was unconscious, they might need medical attention sooner than that. What if the portal _was_ from the real world, and that person was just _dropped _into some strange place? There wasn't time—they had find them—they had to help them. He headed for the door.

Jeri was beside him, his silent volunteer. She nodded at him and they continued towards the doorway until he heard Will speak.

"M—maybe we should tell Takato?." the boy said nervously. "You know...just in case?"

"No." Cronus murmured simply, involuntarily. He couldn't figure out why he'd said it, but he didn't want Takato to be bothered, so...

"Okay...then hang on a sec." Will fumbled around the desk before he tossed him something small and black, and tossed another to Jeri. They were earpieces—Rika and Ryo had used them the day before to communicate with each other and with Will. "Be careful, okay?"

Cronus nodded, and he and Jeri hurried outside.

"Which way you facing?" Will asked suddenly. The guy sounded much more confidant over the speaker than he typically did in person. Cronus quietly hoped that it wasn't that Will was uncomfortable around him.

Jeri gave Cronus a helpless look, and he understood why. He didn't know exactly what direction they were going in. "Uh," he mumbled. "The city gates are to our—right?"

"Okay, good." Will said. Cronus silently wondered if he'd communicated that properly. But Will would probably be able to turn them around if he hadn't. "Head straight until I say so."

"Got it." Jeri replied. She pulled the headset away, and looked at it curiously, before Cronus caught her eye. "How could Rika and Ryo stand to wear these thing? They're uncomfortable as hell." She asked quietly as she made a face, slipping it back into place.

Cronus shrugged, ignoring how it pinched his cheek. "Maybe it was less awkward when they were biomerged."

They had been developed for Justimon and Sakuyamon, after all. Human-like, but not quite human. Just like Cronus.

They walked quickly but carefully. They were walking across a battlefield, and it was making Cronus feel sick. He couldn't tell if something was _actually_ happening to him, or if it was something psychological. Either way, he tried his very best not to let it show, so that he wouldn't have to explain to Jeri that he was okay. His feelings weren't important—finding that human was.

"Okay, stop?" Will said finally, slowly.

There wasn't anything remarkable about where they stood, but Cronus recalled that he was just going to have them change direction.

"Look, like, forty-five degrees to your left…do you see any trees?"

Cronus frowned. "I see a forest, yes."

"Mmm." Will murmured. "Okay, walk towards it. There should be a single tree_ before_ the forest."

"Wait, I see it." Jeri suddenly said. Cronus suddenly saw it too.

"Looks like our human is just behind that tree." Will explained.

Cronus felt a sense of déjà vu, and he let out a mumble, as Jeri looked at him, confused.

"When Takato came to the digital world—after that whole exploding-lab thing? He'd come through a portal that opened high-up, so he fell a long way. I found _him_ next to a tree." Cronus explained. "He was out for three weeks, plus however long he'd been laying there before I found him."

Jeri's face scrunched. "Let's just hope they're better off."

Cronus nodded, and they quickened their pace as they approached the tree. The person on the other side didn't look very Takato-like, though.

It was a girl, about the same age as the others, but she was about Jeri's height, which meant she was slightly shorter than Cronus himself. She had long black hair, but there was color in it. At first Cronus had thought it was blood, but he realized it was too bright. Chunks of it were bright; vibrant and red.

She had a short black shirt on, and a green-blue denim jacket that had full sleeves, but went no lower than halfway down her back, about where her hair stopped. Her jeans were the same color as the jacket, with some tear marks on them. She also wore some uncomfortable looking brown boots hiding the cuffs. Her shirt didn't quite meet the top of her jeans, a strip of her stomach visible.

"She's breathing." Jeri noted. Jeri carefully lifted the girl's head and seemed to be examining her head for some sign of injury. Cronus could tell from the immediate lack of panic on Jeri's expression that there didn't seem to be any visible damage. Jeri gently patted her cheek, trying to wake her up.

The girl let out a soft murmur. Jeri stopped, and looked at Cronus, and then back to her.

"Hey, you with us?" Jeri asked, gently patting her on the cheek again.

Another sound. Except this time she opened her eyes. They were deep blue—darker than Ryo's.

Cronus carefully brushed her hair out of her face.

She looked back at him for several seconds. It made Cronus feel funny. But she suddenly jerked away from both him and Jeri, crawling backwards, gritting her teeth.

The girl climbed to her feet quickly, inhaled sharply, and entered some sort of fighting stance. It looked similar to Henry's karate form, but Cronus knew it wasn't the same. She looked back and forth from Cronus to Jeri, but Cronus knew what she was doing—sizing them up as threats. And since Jeri didn't look like the kind who'd hurt a fly, Cronus saw the girl's attack coming.

She jumped towards him, landing just in front and kicking high, towards his head. He ducked aside, and using all his strength pushed the kicking leg up, throwing her off balance and back to the ground.

Will's voice came through. "What's going on, is she alive?"

"Uh, yeah." Jeri replied slowly.

The girl kicked Cronus hard in the stomach, and he reeled backwards while she jumped to her feet, and her fists were raised again. Some of her hair was in her face, and Cronus found it distracting—he couldn't see where she was looking. That, and the red was really shiny.

She kicked at him again, and it hit his chest hard, and he grunted on the impact. Cronus didn't know what to do—he didn't know how to stop her from fighting without hurting her. He knew how to fight—and he knew how to fight _well_, but he didn't want to do anything offensive.

_If she goes after Jeri, that's a different story_.

He could hear his friend calling at the girl to stop as she punched two more times. Cronus batted both away. He could tell from her breathing that she was getting frustrated that he wasn't going down.

_So give up. Please?_

The way she moved was—interesting. Graceful but powerful. But the girl wasn't a weapon, like Cronus was, so he had the advantage already. He was born to fight.

She did a half-turn before launching a kick at his chest again, but he was ready, and he stopped it with his hands, grabbing her by the ankle.

They remained in that position for several seconds, Cronus holding her by her leg, the girl gritting her teeth.

He could tell she was thinking about her next move. He had her by one foot—but he knew that _she_ knew that kicking with her other foot wouldn't be a good idea, because he'd move, then she'd be on the ground, and he could snap her leg easily. Not that he ever would—but she clearly thought he was trying to hurt her.

"Don't move, please." Jeri said calmly.

Cronus and the girl both looked at her, who was pointing a small dart gun at the girl. Cronus let go of her leg, but when she pulled back, she wasn't in a fighting stance anymore. She was just staring at Jeri, worriedly.

"Who are you people?" she demanded, her teeth grit.

"Jeri?" Cronus said suddenly. "Put that away, please?"

The redhead looked at him. "You sure?"

"Yes." He nodded. The girl was just—scared. And Cronus knew what that was like. He looked to the girl, who was staring at him, bewildered. "Please…we're not going to hurt you." He said, his hands slightly raised open-palmed.

"Who are you?" she repeated herself.

"My name is Cronus Matsuda, and this is Jeri Kato." He said, indicating himself and Jeri.

"Did you—_do_ anything to me when I was out?" she demanded.

"No!" Cronus replied, shocked. "We found you on a scan, and we came to make sure you were alright. That's all, I swear it."

The girl's blue eyes examined him.

"Scan?" She repeated. "What do you mean, 'scan'?"

"Can you tell us your name?" Jeri asked.

The girl hesitated for a moment, and again, Cronus noticed it—she was still ready to fight. But still, she nodded in agreement. "Adrie Burke." She said.

"Okay, Adrie." Jeri said. "I'm sorry I aimed that thing at you." She said sincerely.

Adrie raised a brow. "Don't lose sleep over it. I guess I sorta went ape-shit on your boy here."

_Her…boy?_

Jeri sent him a look that told him not to question it just there—there were more important things to talk about.

"So where is this place?" the girl asked, looking around. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Jeri asked suddenly.

Adrie closed her eyes for a moment. A pretty long moment, too. Cronus figured she was probably having trouble remembering what had happened—it wasn't something unusual, since the trip to the digital world was typically pretty disorienting—especially on the first time.

"I was in my room—no, I was walking to the kitchen." She recalled.

"Was anybody with you?" Jeri asked.

Adrie shook her head. "No—home alone."

_Still, her family must be worried about her._

Jeri made a thoughtful sound, and Adrie raised her hand, somewhat sarcastically. "Can we get back to 'where am I'?"

Again, Jeri glanced at Cronus, and he let her do the talking. "Do you remember hearing about the D-Reaper incident a few years back?"

Adrie shrugged. "Of course. Why?"

"Well, let's start from there."

* * *

They'd taken her back to Hyperion after Jeri had explained mostly everything. The history lesson hadn't been entirely thorough, but she'd explained the gist of it—there was the real world, then there was the digital world. The barriers that separated them were coming down, which is how she fell in. The thing that was taking _down_ those barriers was the Destroyer, and Cronus, Jeri, and their friends were trying to stop it. Adrie had accepted it quicker than Cronus probably would have.

Cronus had briefly introduced her to Takato, Rika, Ryo, Kazu, and Henry, before he walked her to where Will and Giz could run a scan to make sure she was okay.

"This must be Will?" Adrie asked Cronus. Cronus nodded, and Will smiled warmly.

"Will, this is Adrie; Adrie, this is Will." Cronus said.

"Hey, Adrie. Sorry to hear about the whole get-sucked-in-from-the-other-world thing, but you're in good hands here." Will said politely. "Can I see your arm?"

Adrie held her arm out while Will gently rolled a scanner between her wrist and her elbow. Whatever tests Will was running only took a few minutes, which were painfully silent. The boy seemed too distracted to make conversation with her, and Cronus simply didn't know what to say.

"And—we're done." Will finally said with a smile.

Cronus watched as Adrie eyed Will suspiciously. "How old are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Fifteen." He answered. "Why?"

She glanced at Cronus, then back to Will. "And you're a doctor?"

"Wha—?" Will looked shocked. "Oh, hell no." he went on quickly. "The school won't even let me take biology 'til next year."

Adrie looked worried, but it took Cronus a moment to understand what she was getting at.

"He's kind of brilliant when it comes to computers and programming." Cronus explained. "And in this place, that means you can do a lot of stuff."

"Oh."

Will looked uncomfortable. "Uh, well, I'm gonna go find Takato. He probably wants to know what's up." He said before turned to Adrie. "It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah, you too." Adrie said with a smile. Will left the room quickly after picking up a small stack of paper from the table.

"I'm really sorry about all this." Cronus said nervously, scratching the back of his head. "We're gonna try to find a transit spot, but Will's got to recalibrate all the equipment for us to do it."

"Transit spot?" Adrie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cronus thought of how to describe it. "They're these places where the barriers between the worlds are weak, but stable enough that we can go back and forth. Don't worry." He assured her. "I'll do everything I can to get you home soon. Okay?"

She smiled briefly before she looked down, and Cronus began to wonder if perhaps she was hiding it for some reason.

"I'm not in a real rush, Lancelot, but that's sweet anyways." She said. "So don't go to far out of your way for me."

_What's a lance a lot?_

There weren't any weapons nearby, so Cronus didn't quite understand what she was talking about. He suspected she'd hit her head harder than she remembered, but he said nothing so as not to upset her.

"To tell you the truth," she said suddenly, "I'm not exactly crazy about my family. I mean, they make sure I have everything I need and all that, and I'm grateful for it, but—just some of the things they say, I guess."

Cronus tilted his head. "Like what?"

He hoped he wasn't being invasive—he was ready to apologize before she started explaining.

"I guess they just kind of talk down about a lot of people who aren't as well off. It bugs me."

A pause while Cronus thought it over. He knew the others looked down on him, so he understood what that was like...still, he wasn't used to getting any sympathy about it.

"What about you?" she asked. "Do your parents drive you crazy?"

He bit his lip. "Well, I—I don't exactly—_have_ parents." He answered slowly.

"I'm sorry." She said suddenly. "I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's alright." Cronus replied quickly, honestly. "Just wasn't expecting that question. I don't—get talked to very much..."

"Oh." She said curiously. "Any brothers or sisters?" she asked.

Cronus thought about it. "Sort of." He answered.

She gave him a look and a smirk. "Now you're just _trying_ to confuse me."

"Oh, n—no." Cronus said apologetically. "One of my friends—his family kind of—took me in a few months back, so I'm sort of his adopted brother, I guess."

"Well, that sounds nice." Adrie replied, nodding slowly. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "So what do you do here?"

Cronus raised an eyebrow curiously. "Huh?"

"This 'mission' you guys have going on, I mean." She explained. "What do you do? Aside from rescuing pretty girls like me, I mean."

Cronus wasn't exactly sure how to answer—he didn't _know_ why he was there. He just knew he had to protect Takato. _That_ was his purpose.

He hesitated. "I think it'd be most accurate if I said I was a weapon."

"On that note, where'd you learn to fight?" she suddenly asked. "I've never lost before."

Cronus looked at her, concerned. "You fight a lot?"

She shook her head. "Outside of sparring, that's actually the first fight I've been in, actually."

"Oh." He said. He was glad that she didn't have to fight for real as often as he did.

"You didn't answer." She declared. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

Cronus frowned. "Natural talent, I guess."

Adrie's head tilted to one side, he hair flopping with it. "Well, don't sound glum or anything." She said sarcastically.

He met her eye. "Feeling like a weapon isn't very nice."

"Well, believe it or not…" Adrie started with a shrug. "My parents made me study martial arts all my life, so…" she grimaced a little. "I kinda know what it's like to feel like I'm kinda a weapon, too. Dangerous, you know? Weapons are born to fight…and that only makes them good for killing. But I don't want to kill anybody, so I keep trying to think of another word to use than 'weapon' when I think about myself."

Cronus slowly nodded as he realized that she probably understood more than most people could. "I was wondering what that was about." He said. "The fighting, I mean. That was pretty impressive."

She gave a little laugh. "Yeah, that was fun. I think I freaked out your girlfriend, though."

_Girlfriend?_

"Huh?" he murmured, confused. "Oh, _Jeri_? N—no, it's not like that."

Adrie tilted her head curiously, he hair shining in the light. "Uh huh?"

Cronus rubbed the back of his neck. "She's with Takato—the brother? They've been together for a couple of years now."

"That's sweet." Adrie declared.

A moment passed quietly, and Cronus wished he knew what to say to her to make her feel more comfortable. Unfortunately, Cronus wasn't all that good at talking to his friends, let alone a girl who had just become trapped in the digital world who didn't want to go home.

He didn't like to think that she was unhappy, but he didn't have any way to make that better for her. It was out of his power.

_Power_.

He gave a weak smile, realizing maybe one of his friends could talk to her. "Henry's a black belt." He said, recalling. "You should talk to him."

She looked as if she was going to say something, and he waited for her to, but it appeared that she'd decided not to say whatever she was going to, and Cronus flashed her a smile before he started to turn to leave. He felt warmth on his hand, and turned to see she'd placed hers on his.

"I guess I could." she said quietly. A pause. "But—I like talking to _you_."

* * *

"You sure?" Ryo asked her carefully.

Rika nodded, not looking at him. She was sure. "Yep. Jeri said that she was definitely picking up vibes."

"Vibes?" Ryo looked doubtful.

Rika turned to him. "Come on, this is _Jeri_. She _knows_ things."

She really did. Jeri was often underestimated by the others, and Rika kind of enjoyed it, because it made it all the more interesting when everyone realized just how much she really knew. Like that whole vision-of-the-future thing she had a while back.

"Wait, which way were these vibes _going_?" he finally asked, realizing.

Rika grinned. "Both ways, apparently. He was acting all noble, telling her he'd get her home safely. Then they were holding hands."

Ryo gave her a look before a smile. "You're _really _actually enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Oh, I really am." She admitted. "They'd be a cute couple, don't you think?"

She realized her mistake, and hoped Ryo hadn't. But he had.

"Holy crap," he said, fake-shocked. "You're calling things 'cute'."

"Eh…" she stammed. "Am not." She added quickly. "But—you think they would be, right?"

Ryo seemed to think about it longer than Rika had, but he eventually nodded. "Yeah. He probably likes her back, I mean. She's pretty cu—I mean, it might be worth putting them together and seeing what happens."

Rika grinned. "You can say she's cute, I don't really care."

Ryo squinted at her. Rika really was having fun with it. And she was enjoying how insecure it was making Ryo. That was a bonus, too.

"She's—cute." He said extremely slowly, as if suspicious that Rika was trying to trick him into saying something he'd regret.

"There you go," Rika said with a 'condescending-teacher' voice and a smirk. "Come on, it'll be _fun_."

Her plan was to have a double date. At first, she'd nearly thrown herself out of the window from how girly the concept was, but if anyone asked, she'd just say that hanging around Jeri, combined with living like a princess would do that to a girl. They were walking through the halls of the Atlas tower, albeit slowly. They could have been at Cronus room, but they were taking their time to discuss it.

Ryo had been hesitant at first, but Rika knew it was because he was embarrassed for thinking Cronus had been the Destroyer. He had told Rika that Cronus said he'd accepted the apology, but that he still felt horrible about it. She'd consoled him, saying that he'd only expressed what he'd believed at the time—with the misleading information _he had_ at the time. He seemed a bit better.

"So what if _I_ fall madly in love with her?" Ryo teased, nudging her as they approached the door to Cronus's room.

"Whatever." Rika shrugged, hiding her smirk. "I'm already dating Takato and Kazu on the side." She stuck out her tongue.

"Huh?" Ryo said quickly. He must have actually believed it for a second, before Rika started laughing. "Not cool." He declared.

While Ryo was struggling with a way to get his dignity back, Rika knocked on the door, proud of her quick thinking.

Cronus opened the door. Rika was grinning like a madman, and Cronus looked at her nervously. He then glanced to Ryo, who was looking at him apologetically.

"Hi…?" Cronus said.

"Hi." Rika said sweetly. "What are you doing tonight?"

Cronus looked up, evidently thinking. "Probably nothing. I think Takato's gonna talk to Hypnos to see what our next move is, so I might go eavesdrop. Why?"

"Yeah, eavesdropping is definitely a good time…" Rika said thoughtfully, thinking about the conversation Jeri had heard Cronus having. "But know what_ else_ is good? Coming out to dinner with Ryo and me."

Cronus bit his lip anxiously, Rika watching his gaze move from her to Ryo, then back again. "…Why?"

"Why not?" Rika countered.

He scratched his head. "I don't wanna be a third wheel." He murmured uneasily.

"So bring Adrie, then." Rika suggested as she stepped past Cronus into his room. It had been the first time she'd seen it. Of course, it was similar to the ones they'd given her, Ryo, and Will, but things in Cronus's room were decidedly blue-er. And, it seemed that Cronus either didn't sleep under blankets, or he knew how to make the bed in that exact bizarre way that the beds had been given to them as.

"I don't know…" he trailed off.

Cronus was standing between Rika and Ryo, and Rika gave her boyfriend a _look_—a 'say-something-already' kind of look.

Ryo didn't hesitate. "Do you like her?" he asked blatantly. Rika raised an eyebrow. She had figured that since he was so good at talking to girls, he'd at _least_ be able to show _some_ tact.

_Oh, well._

She trusted that he knew what he was doing. Of course, the question must have taken Cronus by surprise, because he started blushing. It was cu—it was sweet.

Ryo smiled a little. "Well, then why don't you want to come?"

Cronus turned to his desk, an effort to hide his face. "I don't know." He said quickly. "I'm nothing special."

Rika thought it a strange choice of words he'd used. Digital monster-turned-human. To Rika, that basically _defined_ 'special'. She poked him in the back of the shoulder a few times teasingly. "Come _on_…" she coaxed. "Give yourself some credit. If I didn't have a thing Captain Hair Gel here, I'd probably be drooling over you myself."

"Hey." Ryo said, hurt. Rika shrugged at him teasingly, while Cronus looked at the two thoughtfully. It didn't come as a surprise to Rika when Ryo started glancing at his hair in the mirror worriedly. The part that Rika enjoyed most was that Ryo wasn't even wearing hair gel.

Cronus seemed like he was considering it. "She probably wouldn't want to come."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Rika assured him. Adrie's room was her next stop.

Cronus shook his head. "No, I don't think it's a good idea." He said finally. "I'm too nervous."

Before she could have a chance to respond, Rika was being _moved; _Ryo basically guiding her out the door. She looked at him, confused as she'd ever been.

"Guy talk" Ryo explained simply. "No girls allowed."

With a smirk, he closed the door on her. Rika felt a bit dumbfounded, but knowing Ryo would be giving him a pep talk, she knew Cronus would be there. She headed off to find Adrie.

* * *

"Report." Henry ordered.

_Say please._

"Security's been heightened." Reed started. "But turns out that the Circle didn't actually locate this base specifically, they located Takato. So there's no risk of them coming back here."

"Good. Where is Gigadramon?"

Reed shrugged. "Dragging his serpentine ass over these nice floors, no doubt. Why?"

"Have him continue the investigation into what happened to the army." Henry instructed.

He was referring to the failsafe Reed had created. He hadn't expected the Tamers to know that the password was 'Carter'. Perhaps he was underestimating them.

"Can do." Reed said with false enthusiasm.

"Good." Henry smirked. "Now, tell me about this human?"

That part Reed _was_ prepared for. He had been curious himself, so he'd had his friend back home get the information before the Destroyer even asked him to look into it.

"Adriana Burke-Wilcox, 16, Birthday is—_tomorrow_, actually. 107 lbs, A-minus student, parents both divorced and remarried, but no siblings from any marriage. Lives with her father, estranged from her mother. Looks like both sides of the family have quite a bit of money to their names. Favorite food is shepherd's pie, hobbies include painting, dance, and from the looks of it, hair dye." Reed explained, as he recalled what he'd read from her file. "Tae Kwon Do, red-black belt. Karate, black. She's also trained in Pi Qua Quan, and at least two others I have no idea how to pronounce. If neither of us were so high-and mighty, this girl could kill both of us with her palms."

Henry let out a fascinated _hmmm_ sound which irritated Reed. A moment passed.

"She's perfect."

Reed's mouth went dry as he realized what Henry was planning. "Is that really necessary?"

Henry narrowed his gaze. "Has it become necessary to question my orders?" he countered.

Reed calmed himself. "What if you're exposed?"

"I won't be."

* * *

They all laughed as Rika literally spit the food she'd just tried to eat back onto the plate. It was gross, but it was pretty damn funny. Ryo was glad she'd talked him into talking Cronus into coming. He was having more fun than he could remember having in a long time.

Convincing Cronus to come hadn't been that difficult. He'd just been really nervous beforehand, since he'd never actually _been_ on a date before. Ryo'd assured him that it wouldn't be bad since he and Rika would be there, too. Cronus had asked him what he should say, but Ryo refused to answer it—saying that it wouldn't be right if he were to give him a 'script'. Cronus seemed to understand, and Ryo gave him a pep talk about being himself. Ryo was proud of himself, though he wouldn't admit it. He was already the supportive-big-brother to Will, so he already knew most of what to say.

Finding him something to wear was slightly more challenging. Ryo often wore dress shirts, and he'd even brought a few with him. He was taller than Cronus, but not enough that it would look weird. He knew his favorite navy-blue one would fit him well, but unfortunately, it had several bloody spots on it from back when Reed had killed BlueMeramon and then knocked Ryo hard against a wall.

His next task was tracking down either Wisemon or Giz, in hopes that either of them knew of someone that could have it cleaned quickly. Ryo didn't know where to find either, but he knew where to find someone who might—Will. His brother told him that Wisemon was probably trying to fix that generator that would have powered the city's shields if they worked for more than five seconds at a time. He also said Giz was somewhere in town, but that he didn't know where.

He'd had Will take him to Wisemon, since Ryo himself had no idea where that generator was. The hooded member of the Circle said that he didn't know of anyone that could clean it, but that he _did_ know of someone that could make a new one fast enough.

It was at that moment that Ryo realized he would never go shopping for clothes in the real world again.

The entire process had left Ryo with little time to prepare himself, but he allowed himself to take a shower since he'd been running around the tower for what seemed like ages. He'd then grabbed a nice sweater he'd brought from home, and went to meet the others at the bottom of the tower.

They'd given Adrie a quick tour of the city. Ryo was impressed with how quickly she'd adapted to seeing things as strange as the city's inhabitants. Even Will could be caught staring every now and then. Along the way they'd seen what looked like a nice restaurant, and the four of them went in. Unfortunately, they had the same problem they had at breakfast—nobody knew what anything was. But on the plus side, since Rika and Ryo were considered big heroes after the fight against the Destroyer's army, the owner of the restaurant gave them the same set-up they'd had that morning—big table full of all sorts of different kinds of food. And of course, some of it tasted pretty damn weird—which explained Rika spitting out something that _looked_ like corn.

"So how was it?" Adrie teased her innocently.

Rika grinned back. "Ever chewed an aspirin?"

Cronus winced. "Yes."

Ryo laughed. "Alright Adrie, your turn."

The girl bit her finger, faking nervousness. "Alright, bring it on." She laughed. They'd come up with a game where one person would eat something, then they'd pick what the next person ate. So, Rika picked what Adrie would try, Adrie would pick what Cronus would try, Cronus picked for Ryo, and Ryo would pick for Rika. Fortunately for Ryo, Cronus was nice enough to have only picked for Ryo what he recognized as not-horrible. At least, that's what Ryo thought, since he didn't have anything unbearable.

Rika looked around the table. It was an interesting game—there was really no pattern between how good something looked and how it tasted, so it was really just a gamble.

"Take your time, Rika." Ryo teased, nudging her.

"Oh, I will." She assured him, still staring at the table.

Ryo just laughed, as did Cronus and Adrie.

"Okay, Adrie." Ryo started. "What's your real hair color?"

She grinned, raising her eyebrows as she grabbed a handful of jet-black hair with bright red highlights. "That obvious this is dye, huh?" she said, snapping her fingers, defeated as the hair fell back into place. "It's blonde if I leave it alone." She rubbed some of Cronus's hair between her fingers. "Little lighter than his."

Ryo had to restrain himself from laughing when he saw Cronus blush.

"Okay, that one." Rika finally said, pointing at something that was transparent blue, but looked to have the texture of crushed ice."

"Ah, damn it." Adrie laughed. "That one's been creeping me out since we got here…saw me trying _not_ to look at that one, huh?"

"Yep." Rika nodded. "Think you can handle it?"

"Of course." The darker-haired girl replied confidently. She paused. "I just don't know how to actually pick it up."

Cronus pointed to something behind Ryo. "Those people over there are using their hands."

Adrie scrunched her face, picking up a piece of it between two fingers. She gave a whimpering laugh. "Oh, this doesn't feel right at _all_." She ate it, looked contemplative, then shrugged. "Hey, that one wasn't so bad." She turned to Rika, then to Ryo, then to Cronus. "So, I'm kinda confused here. How do all of you guys know each other?"

The three exchanged looks. Ryo really hadn't thought about it, and he could tell from how the others were pausing, that they had to think about it, too. Rika came up with the answer first. "I think it's 'cause we all know Takato, right?"

"Well that's nice." Adrie nodded. She suddenly grinned mischievously at Rika and Ryo. "And how'd you guys get together?"

Rika bit her lip, smiling, but then raised her hands in the air, defeated. "All yours, Ryo."

He scratched his head. "Significant staring over several years." He summarized.

They laughed. Adrie turned to Cronus. "Alright hun, that cup of black stuff's got your name on it."

Rika carefully lifted it and passed it to the blonde boy. He sniffed it, grimacing. "Uh oh. The whole thing?" It was about twice the size of a can of soda, so it was quite a bit.

Adrie looked thoughtful. "What do you think, Rika? Half?"

Rika nodded. "Half."

"Okay." He nodded, smirking. "Tell me when."

The boy lifted it and drank quickly, his eyes closed. Ryo thought about not telling him when he was half-done, but he figured he probably should.

"When." The three all said at about the same time.

Cronus looked repulsed. He made a face, staring at the bottle. "Why are we still playing this game?" he coughed.

Ryo and Rika laughed, and Adrie just smirked at him. "'Cause you're cute when you get grossed out." She said, nudging him.

Cronus didn't hide the smile that time, and neither did Ryo or Rika.

_Okay. I'll admit it to Rika later, but I'm _glad_ she got me to talk him into this._

The blonde pointed at Ryo, and Ryo frowned. He felt like he'd _just_ had his turn. "Okay, take it easy on me."

"Nope." Cronus said apologetically, picking up the remaining half and putting it in front of Ryo. "Down the hatch."

"Ooh, I didn't see that coming." Adrie said, stifling a laugh. Rika was giggling, staring at him, amused.

Ryo picked up the cup, but made the effort _not_ to smell it, after seeing the face Cronus made. He drank it quickly. It felt like it was burning his mouth, his throat, and his stomach. And then he realized why.

"So," Ryo said suddenly, sounding as if he was changing the subject. The other three looked attentive. "Do you guys remember that time that that was pure alcohol?"

Rika and Adrie were laughing hysterically, while Ryo and Cronus were both looking sheepish.

Rika stood up, still laughing, her chair rumbling against the floor. "Okay, gonna freshen up. Adrie?"

Adrie did the same, but wagged a finger at Ryo and Cronus. "No plotting." She ordered.

They disappeared from sight, and Ryo grinned at Cronus. "So?" he asked eagerly. "Are you having fun?"

Cronus nodded, a smile on his face. "I am." He said. "Thanks so much for talking me into this."

* * *

Adrie had had a great time at dinner with Cronus, Rika, and Ryo. Even if the food was gross for the most part. They were so much nicer than her friends back home…she supposed that was to be expected. Her friends in the_ real_ world knew how much money her family had. They weren't_ after _the money or anything, they were just—Adrie didn't have a word for it. 'Spoiled' wasn't quite accurate…Adrie was spoiled, but she simply wasn't a bitch.

Rika seemed nice, but Adrie could tell that that wasn't her typical behavior. Mostly from the reactions of Ryo and Cronus…not that Adrie thought Rika was actually horrible or anything. She knew Rika must have been a good person—otherwise she wouldn't have friends like that. Maybe Rika was just happy to meet someone new. Adrie was. She'd come to Adrie's room alone to make sure everything was alright, and had invited her out with the other three. She'd dropped hints that Cronus was interested in her. Adrie typically wasn't one to be subtle, but she conformed and dropped hints back.

Ryo was pretty cool. Adrie expected him to be a bit of a jerk when she'd first glanced at him—most of the guys _that_ good looking at her school were. She was really glad to be wrong about him, though—he seemed to be a real-life nice guy. The genuine article—she'd barely met a few of those in her lifetime.

Cronus was just a sweetheart. She could tell he liked her, and she didn't hold back on the flirting. She liked him, too…even if he was hiding something. She knew what it was, though, so she wasn't exactly curious about it. He wasn't _from_ the real world, he was from the digital one…and he didn't always look like that. Adrie didn't know _how_ she knew that, but she knew it was true. It also explained how the confused or innocent looks he gave so often…he hadn't been human for very long.

The assumption itself wasn't totally random. He'd confided in her about 'feeling like a weapon' when she'd mentioned her training. She didn't really care, though. Like Ryo, he was a nice guy. Brave. Sweet. Cute. She could tell he was nervous early in the dinner, and she realized that it was his first date. She'd avoided asking things like, 'where are you from?', or 'how did _you_ first come to the digital world'—just incase he didn't have answers prepared. He probably had some line prepared so as not to freak her out, but she'd prefer no lie at all, and therefore just skipped the question altogether.

But when Jeri had been explaining the digital world to her—Adrie wasn't _learning_ about it, she was _remembering_ it. Even though she'd never been there before.

How is that even possible?

The room they'd given her had the same kind of luxurious things that she had at home, but she liked it better than home—the people in the digital world—Cronus and his friends—they were much nicer than what she was used to. She stared out the tall window to the city below, until there was a knock at the door.

"It's open." She called.

A boy with dark hair stepped in.

"Henry, right?" she said carefully.

"Yep." He nodded. "Brought you something."

He handed her a rolled piece of cloth. Inside were some paintbrushes. She smiled slightly.

"Cronus said you liked to paint, so I figured you must be getting pretty bored up here."

She smiled wider. "Thanks, that's really nice of you."

"No problem." He smiled back. "There should be some canvas in one of those drawers over there…not sure what they're used for in this world, but the texture should be right."

She had seen them when she was exploring the room earlier. For whatever reason, it was buried under socks.

"Be careful around Cronus." Henry said suddenly, causing Adrie to freeze in her tracks. "He's dangerous."

She gave him a look. "Excuse me?"

"Just saying." He said, taking a step forward. "He's not what you think, and I don't want you to wind up getting hurt."

Adrie raised both eyebrows, tilting her head to one side, curiously. Henry stared back at her. She looked him over. Good looking. Tan. Well-groomed. Nice build. She supposed a normal girl would have found him charming. But Adrie was repulsed. "You know…" she started sweetly. "You shouldn't talk about your friends behind their backs." She finished dryly, staring daggers at him.

He smirked. "Maybe he's not my friend."

Her fists were clenched, fingernails forcing their way against the skin of her palms, but she didn't let the pain or frustration show any further. She reached beside Henry to the doorknob, which she turned and pushed open.

"I think you should leave." She said firmly.

Henry only smirked, and pulled the door shut—and locked it.

That was all the indication Adrie needed. Whether he was a jerk or a rapist, she didn't care—he was _begging_ for an ass-kicking.

If he saw the first swing coming, he must not have realized she knew what she was doing. His head jerked to the side on the impact of her palm. But he blocked her next three attacks.

_He knows how to fight, too. Remember that._

Fine by her. She knew more than one fighting style, he didn't. She could read his moves. He couldn't read hers.

She kicked him in the side hard with her right foot, but kicked twice more with the same leg—once to his chest, and the next—and most powerful—to his face. He grinned at her.

_What the hell?_

Something wasn't right. She'd used that technique on one of her instructors once, and they cancelled classes for three weeks because she'd broken his nose. She glanced around quickly, just for a second, before she locked her gaze on Henry. Her mind processed everything she'd seen in the room.

_Desk. Pens. Mug—probably ceramic, not a good weapon. Paints, paintbrush…? Worst case, I'll jam it in his ear._

Adrie wasn't a killer. She'd been trained as a weapon her whole life, like she'd told Cronus. But she wasn't a killer. She could be, though. If it came down to a him-or-her situation, she'd do it. But _only_ if she _had_ to.

She fell to the ground, and for an instant she thought he'd been too quick for her. _Inhumanly_ quick. But he hadn't been—she'd just—_fallen_. She felt strange. Henry towered over her, staring down at her intently, and Adrie realized that she couldn't move. And then it happened—it burned her—inside her, something was burning. She felt like her blood was tearing through her.

_What's he doing—to—me?_

* * *

Ryo was walking with Rika and Cronus towards Adrie's room. He really had had a good time at dinner—and it was still early, so Ryo had suggested that they see if she wanted to hang out a bit more. Rika had teased him, of course, about it being him suggesting the date this time. His defense was a clarification that it wasn't a date, they were just hanging out. Fool-proof.

It was good to see Cronus happy, for a change. Ryo remembered him being happy in the real world, but around Adrie it was different. Ever nicer.

"So what _are_ we doing tonight?" Ryo asked.

Rika shrugged. "This was _your_ idea, Akiyama." She reminded him. "Not like we can actually get back to work on the mission just yet, anyways."

_The mission._

There had been a few blissful periods where Ryo had forgotten all about the mission—where he'd been deluded into thinking that just because they'd saved Hyperion, they'd won the war. But the Destroyer was still out there, and there was still more to do. That was apparently supposed to wait, however, until they got some new orders from Hypnos. That, too, would have to wait, until Takato finished his report for Yamaki—which was long overdue. It had been delayed further by his abduction, and he also had to explain the situation with the war against the Destroyer, _without_ letting him know that Cronus was really Guilmon. Ryo offered to help if Takato needed it, but his friend hadn't tracked him down yet, so it must have been going well enough.

"Doubt there's any movie theatres here, huh?" Rika asked, looking at Cronus.

"Probably not." Cronus replied. "But Jeri mentioned a really pretty park outside the Third Residential District."

"Anything but that food game again." Ryo murmured.

The period of time immediately after Ryo and Cronus had drank that mysterious drink had been interesting. They'd decided to stop playing the food game after Cronus and Ryo had realized that they'd unintentionally consumed a great deal of alcohol in a very short period of time. Neither of the boys had let it show, but they both drank a lot of water shortly after to stop things from getting a little too embarrassing.

When they finally arrived at her room, Rika knocked on the door. There was no answer.

A pause, and Ryo gave Cronus and Rika a pair of looks. "Think she went out?"

Cronus looked concerned. "She said she'd be here."

Ryo knocked again. Nothing.

His hand was on the doorknob, and he tried turning it. It worked.

"Not locked…" he murmured, silently asking if he should open the door.

Cronus nodded, apparently understanding, and Ryo gave the door a push, knocking once more as it opened.

The room looked_ different_. The pattern on the walls was different than the ones in his room—or Jeri's, Rika's, Will's, or any of his other friends' rooms. Adrie's room had grayish lines on the walls that didn't look particularly orderly.

There were a lot of broken objects on the ground, too—and at the center of the room was Adrie, kneeling, her back to Ryo and the others—ripping up the carpet with her fingernails.

Ryo had thought there was something on the walls, but he realized that they were actually dents—scratches.

"Adrie…?" Cronus whispered, taking a step so that he was standing beside Ryo.

She stood up and turned to them.

_Oh my God…_

Her eyes were mostly dark, and Ryo soon realized why—several blood vessels in her eyes seem to have been popped, much of the white blocked out by puddles of crimson. Her face had blood on it, too, and Ryo recognized the scratches as the same width as the marks on the walls—of her fingernails. Ryo felt his body tense up.

"Adrie?" Rika gasped.

The girl lunged at Rika in response, and Ryo barely shoved her out of the way in time. Unfortunately, that left Ryo with his guard down, right in her line of fire—and she pushed him hard into the wall. The pain in his left elbow felt different than the pain in the rest of his body, and he realized his elbow had slammed hard against the window, cracking it. If she'd thrown him two more feet to the left, he'd have gone straight out of it.

"Adrie what are you_ doing_?" Cronus cried, getting between her and Rika.

The only response was a hiss. She swung her hand as if it were a claw—definitely not with the martial artist's grace that Ryo had been told about. Which was both a good and a bad thing—good because it meant that it wasn't actually Adrie they'd be fighting—bad because he had no idea where the real Adrie was.

She swiped at Cronus again, but even he wasn't quick enough, and four long scratches appeared on his cheek as her nails tore at the skin. She growled again and this time kicked, but the pain must have made Cronus snap back to attention, because he knocked her leg aside, spinning her around, her back facing him. Before she got the chance to turn back around, he'd shoved her with shoulder, and she rolled across the room.

"Adrie!" he called again.

Adrie jumped to her feet, and then _leapt_ across the room, landing between Rika and Cronus. She grabbed Rika by the shoulder with one hand, and reached for her face with the other. Cronus approached from behind, only to get an elbow to the face from Adrie. Rika kneed her in the gut and pushed her arm off, while Ryo himself had gotten to his feet and pulled Rika away from the window.

But again, Adrie threw Ryo across the room with inhuman strength—the corner of the desk scraping across his back. Ryo didn't see what exactly happened next, but Rika was soon on the ground next to him while she advanced, a pained Cronus moving himself in front of them.

The girl extended her arms to either side and looked up, while the room began to shake. She closed her eyes, and all Ryo could stare at was the light reflecting of the blood on her face. She let out an angry shriek, and Ryo had expected her to unleash some horrible inhuman attack.

But she suddenly froze, her jaw dropping, eyes rolling back in her head, and collapsed to the ground. Ryo saw Jeri behind her, a dart gun still aimed at Adrie.

* * *

Takato looked into the window of the small room. It looked—white. All that was in it was a white bed. White walls. Adrie, asleep, with a white blanket over her. And Cronus, sitting at her bedside, his head bowed as he slept, his cheek against her stomach.

He'd come as soon as he'd heard. He was in the middle of talking to Yamaki about their next move. He'd told Hypnos about the Destroyer—that they'd defeated its army, but that it was only a matter of time before it regrouped. Yamaki wasn't that angry about not having been kept in the loop. Takato realized that it had probably made things easier for him. Less responsibility on his part. Fair enough—Takato's choices were his own, and Yamaki shouldn't have to be responsible for them.

Rika had basically come flying through the door, a panicked look on her face. Before she could say anything, though, Yamaki had simply said, "I'll need a report on this, too." Before he cut the channel.

Rika had explained what had happened. She, Cronus, and Ryo had gone to see Adrie, when she started acting strangely. But 'strange' soon turned to 'feral', and they'd knocked her out and carried her to the infirmary. It was a nice room, with lots of tools in it that Takato himself had no idea how to use. In the middle-back of the room was a smaller room, where Adrie and Cronus were. Takato had seen the makeshift infirmary that Will had been using during the battle—the fully-stocked one was simply too small for the boy to have used to care for that many injured. Rika had then gone to tell the others, and when Takato entered, Ryo left to do the same.

Will and Giz were reading some—somethings that Takato couldn't understand. Jeri squeezed his hand gently. In a room of four people, Takato would have expected more noise. But there was little, and every footstep could be heard.

"There." the small digimon indicated, pointing at something on the page of seemingly random characters.

Will bent down and looked at it, shaking his head, confused. "What?"

"When we read someone's data, the patterns are on the horizontal axis, right?"

Will nodded. "Yeah…?"

"There, this string, right here." Giz continued. "The pattern is on the vertical axis._ That's _what we were looking for—that string, right there...it's what she has, that you, Ryo, and Rika don't."

The blonde boy's mouth opened slightly, but he said nothing. So Takato did.

"Can someone give a translation for the programming-impaired?" Takato asked, raising his hand.

Will looked at him nervously. "We scanned Adrie, and we have her data here." Will explained, indicating a giant stack of paper. "Everything she is—broken down into letters and numbers."

"Okay?" Takato said quickly.

"We're comparing her data to mine, Ryo's and Rika's." he continued. "Which we're using as a template for what human data looks like."

Takato really wished he'd speed the explanation up.

"Well we were trying to find out what made her go ballistic back there, by trying to find a line of code that wasn't right." Will went on. "But it's in_ every_ line. _That's_ why we didn't see it before. We were looking for just one thing that was wrong, but there's more than that. There's literally trillions of things wrong with her. And the—the pattern we're seeing is identical to what we scanned in the Destroyer's agents."

Takato shot a worried look to Jeri before he asked the next question. "She's an agent of the Destroyer?"

Giz shook his head. "No. But she's absorbed data from them. A lot of it, from the looks."

"Well, that's the thing." Will went on nervously. "The portals that have been opening up from the real world leave virtually no evidence they were ever there in the first place, and when they are there, they're only detected about three percent of the time. The beeping we heard at breakfast? That wasn't Adrie falling into this world—that was lightning striking the same place twice."

"It was a _second_ portal?" Jeri said aloud as she figured it out.

_But if she didn't come through that portal…_

"So nothing actually came through that second portal?" Takato realized. "How long had she been laying there?"

Will sighed, and Giz answered for him. "Our best estimate is that she arrived just after the battle ended—after we stopped looking closely at the scanners, and after the field had been cleared out…except…"

"Except for the data from the Destroyer's army." Jeri finished.

Giz nodded. "After two digimon fight, the defeated is turned into raw data. The victor is typically injured somewhat during the fight, and because of this, if the winner were to stand still long enough without voluntarily absorbing the data, it would happen on its own. To fill the void—to heal the injuries."

Jeri looked concerned. "Rika and Ryo were both injured in the fight, too, though."

Will shook his head. "They weren't out there long enough, and for the most part, they were moving. Conscious. Adrie was unconscious _overnight_. Even though she was on one side of the city, she absorbed everything that had died around there…and after she'd absorbed that much of the Destroyer's data, the other data from its agents was drawn over and through the city, all to her."

"The human that's the Destroyer…it's her?" Jeri murmured.

Will shook his head. "No." he replied firmly. "What happened to her was from the data from the army, which was made _of_ the Destroyer. Armegeddemon is somewhere else, and this is it trying to further its reach."

"She's absorbed too much," Giz finished. "and it's taking over what's left of her."

Jeri's hand moved away from her mouth carefully. "Is there any way to extract the data?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Will looked grim. "I might be able to do it if I only slept an hour a night for four months." He started. "And I _would_ do that—believe me, I would…but I don't think she has the time."

"It's in every cell of her being." The Gazimon continued. "If we _could_ get her to the real world immediately, the Destroyer's data would be removed, but—but it would be removing everything it's attached herself to…it would leave her empty. Brain-dead…I'm sorry. If she stays here, she'll turn. If she goes back, she dies." He finished sadly. "I can't think of any possible way of saving her."

"Why now?" Takato asked. "If she was fine before, I mean?"

Will paused, giving a weak shrug. "Well, at first I thought there was some sort of time delay, but we charted changes in the data we just took, and the data from the scan I ran earlier, and there was a _huge_ spike in them we're estimating happened two hours ago. Like the data had suddenly become _active_."

"_Leave the room, now."_ A voice in Takato's head whispered quietly. _"Don't let them follow you."_

Takato knew that the others hadn't heard it. Against his better judgment, he looked to his friends. "I need a minute." He said simply, heading to the door.

He heard Jeri take a step, but he stopped, holding his hand up, signaling her that he meant _alone_ alone.

He stepped out of the room and closed the door, looking around.

Takato heard a footstep behind him, and where there was nobody an instant earlier, Reed stood. He was dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt, with a plain black t-shirt worn over it, and a pair of jeans. He didn't have a mark on him—when just a day ago Takato had knocked him unconscious—and _continued_ to pummel him bloody while he was out.

He nearly called for his friends, but he knew that wouldn't be wise. Reed had the power of three Sovereign. He needed to lure him away from the others. Away from Jeri.

"I'm not here to fight." Reed said quickly, quietly, his hands raised in the air peacefully.

"What _are_ you here for?" Takato said with a glare.

"You can't tell_ anyone_ I'm here." Reed said seriously, staring at him.

"Just tell me why you_ are_ here." Takato repeated himself, still ready to tackle the bastard to the ground.

"I've been here for a while." Reed explained. "But I needed you to hear it from your_ friends_ what's happening to her. You wouldn't have believed me if _I_ told you."

_True._

Reed slowly reached for his belt, and Takato thought he was going for one of the knives he always had there. But he produced something else, which he offered to Takato. A gun.

"There's just one bullet." Reed said quietly. "Stop her from becoming something she's not."

* * *

Cronus felt something on the back of his head, and he knew he should have opened his eyes, but he didn't feel like it. It was gentle, warm. He _did_ open his eyes when he realized that it was Adrie—she was awake, and had placed a hand on his hair.

"Hey, you." She said quietly with a smile.

It was _her_. The real her. He had cleaned the blood up off of her face after Ryo and he had carried her to the medical room, but the scratches were still there. Her eyes themselves had seemed to have cleaned up on their own.

Cronus started to sit up, but shifted closer to her head first—she was running her right hand through his hair, and he didn't want it to stop. He didn't want to feel detached. Alone.

"Are you feeling okay, now?" he asked. She nodded slowly, prompting Cronus's next question. "Do you remember what happened?"

Another nod. "Yes. I'm so sorry."

"What _did_ happen?" he asked, putting his hands on her left hand, which was on her stomach.

Her right hand moved from his hair to his cheek, and then back again. "It was calling for me. I thought I could keep on ignoring it…I could see everything that was happening, but I couldn't stop it from—"

"'_It'_?" he interrupted her curiously.

"The Destroyer." She said quietly. "It's army is dead, but it's still out there, and it's after me."

_Why—why her…why Adrie?_

He glanced at his hands, and then back to her eyes. She was so beautiful. "I won't let anything happen to you."

She flashed him a smile, closing her eyes only for a second. "That's sweet, but I think this is a little out of your league." She frowned. "Go figure. I try so hard _not_ to be a weapon, then I go and get myself in this kind of trouble…just my luck."

Cronus squeezed her hand gently.

"Well, I guess that's not entirely true." She said suddenly. "I did get to meet you—that part I did like."

He rubbed his sleeve over his eyes when he felt them start to itch. She smiled at him for a moment, while he couldn't help but stare back at her.

"Can I ask you something?" he said suddenly.

"I _guess_." She replied, quietly but playfully.

"Your hair…" he started, gently touching some of the bright red ones. "Why red?"

She gave him a surprised look, and another smile. "I guess I just like red. You do too, don't you? I mean, red's_ your_ color anyways, isn't it?"

_What does she mean by that?_

He wasn't wearing anything red. He was still wearing Ryo's blue shirt. He typically_ did_ wear quite a bit of red, but she'd never seen him wear anything red, had she…?

_Unless she means—_

"Can I tell you a secret?" she said suddenly, getting his attention and a nod again. "I've always known what you are."

_Red. My color. What I am._

"What I—am...?" he repeated slowly.

Red _was_ his color. The light from Takato's D-Arc was red. When he was Guilmon, he was red. When he digivolved, the light was always red. She knew about him.

She nodded. "Yeah. You were a digimon once, right?"

He nodded slowly. How could she have known that?

Her head moved slightly, but then paused, but only for a moment. He felt her mouth on his, and he instinctively kissed her back. He saw that she had tears in her eyes when they broke the kiss off, and he gently ran a thumb across her cheek as he stared at her—he himself on the verge of breaking down.

"I'll let you in on something." She said secretively. "No matter how much you think of yourself as a weapon, you're so much more than that. You're not a freak, or a monster, or anything like that—you're a _miracle._ Through and through. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

She then sat up and climbed to her feet, and walked to the door. Cronus was too shocked to stand.

* * *

"You want me to kill her…?" Takato whispered as Reed's words sunk in.

Reed paused. "If you prefer, I can do it myself." He said quietly, extending his hand for Takato to give the gun back.

Takato, of course, didn't want Adrie to die at all. "There's got to be another way." He said—more of a question than a declaration.

The blonde shook his head slowly. "You heard what the boy said." He said, Takato realizing he meant Will. "She doesn't have much time left. It has to be soon."

Takato heard movement behind him, and he spun around to see that Adrie had stepped out of smaller room, and could be seen in the window talking to Will.

Will glanced to Jeri, who nodded to him before looking back to Adrie.

"While you were passed out after you first came here," Will started. "you came into contact with a great deal of corrupt data that you absorbed while you were hurt. It's what healed you—it's why you didn't have a scratch on you. But now it's affecting your mind."

Takato watched Adrie carefully, the gun still in his belt. Reed had disappeared, the bastard...so Takato slowly walked back into the room, still not prepared for what he knew he had to do.

Her expression caused him a great deal of pain…she looked _blank_, but not like he'd seen Cronus, when he was detached. She looked hopeless. Whatever might happen to her in the future, Takato was staring at a normal, human, teenage girl who had just learned that she's going to die.

"When Jeri and I first found you, you weren't surprised that you had no injuries...and you weren't surprised when we told you about the digital world." Cronus said quietly as he stepped in from the back room. "You already knew _everything_, didn't you? What's happening?"

_She…knew…?_

Adrie slowly nodded. "I could feel something evil calling out to me, but I didn't want to listen to it. I wanted to believe that I could control my own destiny."

_Destiny_.

Takato hated that word.

Will looked from Cronus to Adrie, to Giz. "If we analyze the data carefully enough, maybe we can find a way to isolate it, and…" he trailed off helplessly, as Giz slowly shook his head.

"It wouldn't work." Cronus said slowly as he started to circle the room—circle her. "It's who she is now…and we can't deny what we are. No matter how hard we try to fight it, or run from it, or ignore it…it eventually wins out over us no matter what." He looked to her. "Am I right?"

Takato was frozen as Cronus walked right next to him. Cronus wasn't making eye contact, but Takato could see the tears beginning to form in them. All eyes turned to Adrie.

Again, the girl nodded. "I can feel it trying to erase me." She said simply, brushing the hair from her face. "And I can't fight against it forever."

Takato could see Cronus's eyes welling up with tears—he wasn't the only one, though, as the tears were already running down Jeri's cheeks.

"And when it takes you over…" Cronus said, wet eyes locked on her sorrowfully.

"I'll belong to it. The Destroyer." She answered. "I'll fight you for it…I'll kill you for it…I'll find others to serve it…I'll raise a new army—and this will keep happening, again and again."

"And then you'll be a weapon." Cronus said with a slow nod. "And weapons are born to fight, and that means that they're only good for one thing."

A tear fell from Adrie's eye. "Yes."

Takato realized a second too late that Cronus had taken the gun from his belt when he'd walked by him. But everyone else had already seemed to notice it, and Cronus had paced his way back across the room. Takato himself took a step forward, but Jeri gently took hold of his arm, and he didn't move further. Cronus's feet stopped moving as he stared directly at her.

Giz had tugged Will away, and was ushering him out of the room. The boy didn't protest, and the two were gone shortly after.

Cronus pointed the gun at her as he finally started crying. "I'm sorry."

The gunshot was deafening. Jeri buried her face in Takato's shoulder, quietly sobbing. Adrie let out a grunt as the bullet hit her, but she had her eyes closed, and Takato knew that it was a conscious decision—she didn't want Cronus to have to look into her eyes as she died.

Cronus dropped the gun, and rushed to catch her as she fell—but by the time he got to her she was gone. Before she even hit the ground, she was data. The cloud dispersed and went away, leaving Cronus empty-handed. Leaving Jeri sobbing. And leaving Takato without any idea what to say to the boy that kneeled in the center of the room, lost.

* * *

Reed was furious. And by letting it show, he was taking a chance.

"Don't _ever_ let there be an incident like that again." Reed growled to the screen.

Henry glared back at him. "Don't forget who answers to whom, human." He warned. But Reed wasn't one to be intimidated.

"That was reckless, it was shortsighted, and it was _cruel_." Reed snarled.

_Cruel._

Reed had done cruel things. He'd killed several of the Destroyer's—of Henry's agents for looking at him the wrong way. He'd roughed up Takato. He'd tried to induce serious mental damage to Jeri and Ryo by making them see their dead loved ones. But he hadn't done—_that._ There was a reason Reed had only put one bullet in the gun. Because if there had been two, Cronus would have in all likelihood killed himself after. Adrie shouldn't have been in the digital world in the first place, let alone subject to that. It hadn't just been evil. It had been cruel.

Henry picked up that word, too. "And since when do you care?"

Reed was breathing heavily. "Mark my words." He said coldly. "If you ever do that to another human being, I will personally escort the Tamers to the Guardian, and I'll watch as it guts you from the inside out. Again."

"You wouldn't dare…" Henry spat.

Reed took a confidant step towards the screen. "Try me. I'm not afraid of you."

Henry smirked suddenly. "I know, but you're afraid for him."

The screen flashed for a split second. He saw the boy. Carter. The _real _Carter. Solid. Human. Reaching towards the camera desperately.

"Help!" he cried.

Reed felt his blood run cold, and for the first time in what seemed like ages, he was at a loss for words.

"Now…" Henry said politely. "Get back to work."

His fingers hurt, he was clenching his fist so hard. He destroyed the screen with Azulongmon's lightning before he left for his room.

Reed stared at his phone when he got there. It had been specially made for his mission. Impossible to trace, even for the Destroyer. He hit Speed Dial 1.

"Hey." His partner said quietly. "Caught the whole thing. I'm sorry, man."

Reed sighed. "It happens. No lock on Carter's whereabouts?" he asked, knowing the answer already.

"No, I'm sorry." Delta's voice on the other end of the line said sadly. "My best guess it that the technology the Destroyer is using to hide him was made from Henry's memories and knowledge from before he was taken over. If we can get the Destroyer _out_ of Henry, then he'd be able to crack it. I'll keep trying, but I don't think I can do it—I'm just not_ good _enough."

Reed paused. "What about William Connors?"

"Huh? That Ryo guy's brother?"

"Yeah." Reed nodded. "He's smarter than both of _us_ put together. I think we should bring him in."

There was a moment of silence as he knew his friend was contemplating it. "I wouldn't do that if I were you—at least not yet…he's too close to Henry right now. I think we've got to wait for Henry to make his move against the Tamers. Once he exposes himself to them—or if the idiots ever _figure it out_, then we can get Will's help directly. 'Til then, I don't think we can trust him to come down on our side by keeping it a secret."

"You're probably right." He murmured. "Has Adriana's family noticed she's missing yet?"

"Nothing reported, no." was the answer. "It looks like one of the head honchos over at Hypnos is having it covered up."

Reed glanced to the nightstand, and the picture on it. _Her._ On the swing. He wondered if Cronus had felt towards Adriana what Reed felt for _her._

"Missing her?" his friend asked suddenly. Reed had almost forgotten that his every move was being watched.

"Yeah, but I'll be okay."

"Want me to put her on?"

Reed stopped. "She's there?"

"No, but I can put you through from here. The line'll still be secured, but I can only guarantee that for sixty seconds—after that it'll be too risky. So be quick, okay."

He almost tried to talk himself out of it, but he allowed himself to accept the offer.

"Okay."

He heard the ringing on the other end, and he sat on the bed, nervously. It had been the longest period of time they had gone without talking to each other in the whole relationship. But he needed to talk to her. After what he'd just seen happen. He just needed it.

"Hello?" she asked.

Reed hesitated.

"Hey. It's me."

* * *

Kazu sighed as he stared over the balcony. He'd been on his way to the infirmary to see what was up when he'd come across Will and Giz in the hall, who explained what had happened. Adrie'd been corrupted by the Destroyer—

—Will had nearly yelped at the sound of the gunshot, but Kazu'd covered his mouth to silence him. He knew immediately that Adrie had been killed. But he hadn't expected Cronus to have done it.

The city below looked so peaceful. It was starting to get darker, but he could still see the city clearly—as clearly as possible from so high up.

"Hey."

Kazu turned to see Will standing in the open doorway back inside.

"Mind if I stand outside with you?" he asked nervously.

Kazu shrugged. "Go for it."

He didn't know the kid very well, but he seemed nice enough. A bit squeamish if anything. Kazu supposed that was to be expected. Kazu himself had been a bit—delicate—when Takato had first shown him Guilmon.

They were in silence for a few minutes before Will finally spoke. "Giz said that there's no more data from the Destroyer's army anywhere near the city."

Kazu nodded. "Good."

_The Destroyer's army…the data._

During the fight, Kazu had biomerged with Guardromon. It had been incredible…he had been able to kill hundreds of the Destroyer's agents in just a few attacks. And after he'd defeated them, he was ready to do what was the normal thing to do—he'd prepared to absorb the data left behind. He hadn't even thought about it.

Until Ryo told him not to. That they didn't know what might happen. So, Kazu didn't absorb any of it—it had stayed where it was. Until it was all absorbed by Adrie, a few hours later.

Kazu couldn't help but think about it…what would have happened if Kazu had absorbed it, instead. Would it have been enough for the Destroyer to turn him? Or would it have meant that there wouldn't have been enough for the Destroyer to corrupt Adrie? Above all the questions and theories that ran through his head, there was one belief that rung louder than all the rest—that it should have been Kazu that was to be killed. Not her.

He didn't know her. He hadn't known she even existed before that day. But she was _his_ age. And she was dead.

"How's Cronus?" he suddenly asked. From what he understood, the two had become close quickly. Cronus, who knew so little about loss, or death. How to handle it. He might look like he was sixteen, but he was still, in many ways, a child.

Will shook his head slowly.

_God…_

"I just keep thinking about it…" Will said quietly, staring to the city, but not to Kazu. "That if I had calibrated the equipment better…if I'd been paying more attention, and found her when she first got here, then...or, if I knew more about how things worked in this world, maybe she'd…"

Kazu shifted his weight around. "You couldn't have known." He said calmly. He wasn't trying to be patronizing, it was just the truth. "Besides…the Destroyer's the one who killed her." he continued. "The instant he—activated, or whatever—that data, she was dead. Even if she was still in there, the Destroyer must have known that she'd be killed."

He paused, thinking about what he'd just said. "The Destroyer." he repeated. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what it did."

Will finally turned to him. "Then neither should you."

Kazu's mouth went dry, but he realized Will must have figured it out.

"When Giz told you about the data, you looked scared." Will explained. "I heard over the headsets that you almost absorbed the data from the ones you killed. It's bothering you, isn't it?"

Kazu slowly nodded. "Yeah."

For another long moment, neither spoke. Finally, Will gathered the nerve.

"I'm just worried about Cronus." Will confessed. "He's never experienced loss before— I think this is gonna be with him for a long, long time."

* * *

Takato knocked on the door, but it apparently hadn't been closed properly, because it opened without touching the handle.

No answer, and Takato stepped in. Cronus was standing, looking out the window, his forehead gently leaning against it. Takato knew Cronus better than anyone, and he knew that seeing the city wasn't helping what he was feeling. Because he was seeing life go on. Takato walked over to the couch and sat down sideways, so he was able to see Cronus to his right.

Neither spoke for a long while.

Takato hadn't known her. He'd only been introduced to her…he'd been busy. He hadn't thought that the chance to know her would have gone away so quickly.

Even Cronus had only known her for the day—but he knew that you could still feel so connected to someone after only a day. The day he'd met Cronus and Mala, Takato felt that he'd known them for ages. Even back on the day that Takato first met Guilmon, he felt like it had been so much longer than a day. Adrie had understood Cronus—maybe even better than Takato ever could.

"The others all heard?" Cronus asked quietly, still looking out the window.

Takato nodded to himself. "Yeah."

"What about her family…?" the blonde asked, suddenly turning to Takato.

Takato looked grim, and slowly shook his head. "Yamaki's working on it, but he's having trouble narrowing down the family name of Burke."

Cronus's eyes widened. "But—but they have to know, they'll be looking for her, and they have to know that she—"

Takato stood up quickly, taking a step towards his friend. "Cronus…" he said quietly.

"You should tell Yamaki about me." Cronus said suddenly. "Have them lock me up in a lab somewhere and throw away the key."

Takato shook his head. "I'm not gonna do that."

"I killed her, Takato." Cronus whimpered as he finally broke down. "I cared about her and I _killed_ her!"

Takato put a hand on his friend's shoulder, staring him in the eye. Cronus had stared back, his face flush and wet with tears.

He didn't think that Cronus actually understood it …that if _he_ hadn't have had the courage to do it, then Takato, or Kazu, or Henry, or one of the others would have had to do it. "You didn't have a choice." Takato whispered to him.

"I know." Cronus replied quietly, dryly. His face looked stern. "Because I'm a_weapon_, and weapons are born to fight." His tone shifted, and the tears fell again. "Adrie told me that I wasn't a monster, but I _am—_I'm a killer, and a _weapon_, and don't understand why that happened to _her_ instead of me!"

Takato pulled his friend into a hug while Cronus sobbed against his chest. He didn't know how to help him.

Takato recalled what Reed had revealed about Cronus's power. That it conflicted with his humanity. The more human that Cronus felt, the weaker he got—and not just in terms of _power_, but his very life force. When they'd first arrived, Cronus was so worried that he wouldn't be useful without power…Takato looked to his friend, who was then trying to just live another minute.

Something was different, though. Back when Cronus and Takato had been fighting in the Destroyer's base, Cronus had found a balance—to his power, and to his humanity. If Reed had known that Cronus's emotions would eventually kill him—and if he actually had some of the same interests that the Tamers did—if he was at times protecting them—then Takato prayed that Reed had done something to stop Cronus's feelings from killing him. He didn't deserve that—nobody deserved that.

Takato realized that it was the first time Cronus experienced the death of someone important to him. Takato recalled when he was six, and his dad told him that his grandmother had died…Takato didn't want to believe it. He'd ran out, and stayed out until his dad found him hiding under the jungle gym at the school's playground.

Cronus pulled himself together, and stared at Takato. "How did Ryo and Will ever make it through this?" he whimpered. "This is tearing me apart…"

He was referring to their mother, of course. Both Takato and Cronus had been told at the same time by Ryo what had happened—he'd come to their house to tell Will, who had been sleeping over.

His friend whimpered slightly, and Takato put an arm over his shoulder and around his back, pulling him into a hug.

"I don't know." Takato confessed finally, his friend looking at him helplessly. "But I think it's part of what it means to be human."

* * *

Ugh, I made myself sad. R/R, please. The alternate ending had Cronus trying to use the gun on himself afterwards, only to find out it didn't have anymore bullets in it. When it didn't work, he'd leave. The scene between Reed and Henry wouldn't have been there, and instead of Takato consoling Cronus, Reed would have dropped some hints about his connection to Carter. I only half-wrote it, but if I need to take a break from writing the next chapter, I'll finish it up and post it in my forums. The only other deleted scene was Ryo and Cronus drunk, but that'll probably be rewritten for some comic relief in a future chapter.

Thanks again for reading, and please review.

- N


	18. Heralds

I'm glad that Chapter 17 got such a good response. I know it was long, but most of the scenes that weren't directly important to the chapter's plot were the ones with everyone having fun, and I thought it was important to make Adrie as lovable as possible before she died.

Review!

-N

* * *

**Previously:**

"She's alive." Ryo called. "Henry?"

"Alive, but he's out." Takato called back.

"R-Ryo?" the girl in his arms whispered weakly.

"Rika?" he replied in disbelief. "Rika!"

The disbelief turned to panic, however, when she suddenly grabbed his head with all her might, and stared at him, and he saw the terror on her face.

"It's coming, Ryo." She whispered. "It's coming."

/ / /

Reed raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you weren't going to interfere?"

Henry smiled darkly. "Things have changed. I'm not going to hold back anymore."

/ / /

"And when it takes you over…" Cronus said, wet eyes locked on Adrie sorrowfully.

"I'll belong to it. The Destroyer." She answered. "I'll fight you for it…I'll kill you for it…I'll find others to serve it…I'll raise a new army—and this will keep happening, again and again."

"And then you'll be a weapon." Cronus said with a slow nod. "And weapons are born to fight, and that means that they're only good for one thing."

A tear fell from Adrie's eye. "Yes."

Cronus pointed the gun at her as he finally started crying. "I'm sorry.

/ / /

"I killed her, Takato." Cronus whimpered as he finally broke down. "I cared about her and I _killed_ her!"

"You didn't have a choice." Takato whispered to him.

"I know." Cronus replied quietly, dryly. His face looked stern. "Because I'm a _weapon_, and weapons are born to fight." His tone shifted, and the tears fell again. "Adrie told me that I wasn't a monster, but I _am—_I'm a killer, and a _weapon_, and don't understand why that happened to _her_ instead of me!"

* * *

**Heralds:**

Takato was in his room, laying down on the couch. Jeri was doing the same, in the opposite direction, her feet somewhere around his stomach. They were working on his report to Yamaki—which was going insanely slowly, since every other word was a lie.

Well, maybe not _every other word_, but a lot of it. Anything concerning Cronus had to be fabricated so that Yamaki wouldn't find out that he was really Guilmon. It had been a day since Adrie had died—Takato had spent most of the time working to keep his mind off of it.

A knock on the door, which opened only slightly.

"Hey, can I come in?" Takato heard Ryo call.

"I _guess_." Takato taunted.

He and Jeri both glanced towards the door, gently placing their notepads on their laps. "What's up?" Takato asked.

"Hey, sorry if I'm interrupting anything." Ryo said sincerely.

"Oh, yeah." Jeri snickered. "This is the most steamy, sexy, raunchy report-writing _ever_."

Takato gave her a confused look, as he knew Ryo did. The smile faded from her face quickly, and she picked up her notepad and got back to work.

"—and some jokes you don't make out loud." She murmured quietly. "Okay. Done talking now. Go ahead."

Ryo stifled a laugh, but Takato was still somewhat reeling.

"Yeah. Well." Ryo said awkwardly. "Henry found a disturbance just a few hours away from here. We've still got a few data spikes, and he thinks it might be worth going to fix while we're waiting on orders from Hypnos, anyways."

Takato bit his lip. "Makes sense, I guess." He admitted. "And splitting up shouldn't go as badly as last time, since everyone'll know to come back here…"

"Well, you're in charge." Ryo said, hands in the air. "I wanted to run this by you."

Takato smiled a bit. "I appreciate that." He said. "Who's going?"

"Me, Rika, Kazu, and our partners." Ryo said. "Now that Kazu and Guardromon can biomerge to Mega, we're as strong as we've ever been." He added positively.

It was true—sort of. Though Gallantmon wasn't even in the mix anymore.

"Henry doesn't want to go?" Jeri asked suddenly. Takato hadn't even thought about it, but that _was_ odd. Especially since Henry was the one who'd found that disturbance.

Ryo shrugged. "He said he wants to keep trying to get the Circle to tell us where the Guardian is. It's probably a better use of time, anyways."

_True_.

They had had no luck in locating the Guardian. The fight against the Destroyer's army had ravaged the city's defenses, but the fact that Hyperion had _won—_it only convinced the Circle that they could handle the Destroyer _without_ the Guardian. A notion that none of the Tamers shared in.

"Need an extra person around?" Jeri asked, putting her pen down again.

Ryo turned to her. "You offering?"

"Well, if the scanner can only point you in a general diretion, you'll probably have to ask directions, and I'm told I'm _likable_." She said proudly. She turned back to Takato, nudging him in the side with her foot. "Can I go?"

"Makes sense." Takato admitted. "But be careful, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. But I'm actually only going so Kazu has someone to make fun of them with."

Takato shifted his legs while Jeri climbed over them and off the couch, handing him her notes.

"Of course." Takato grinned, ignoring Ryo's expression of embarrassment. He then turned to his friend in all seriousness. "I mean it about the 'careful', though. Take care of each other."

"We'll behave." Ryo smirked. He then poked Jeri in the side. "As long as Jeri never uses the word 'raunchy' again."

"Done and done." She agreed, taking a bright red elastic off of her wrist and tying her hair back. She looked to Takato, pointing at her notebook she handed him. "The stuff highlighted in yellow is the stuff we're lying to Yamaki about, the stuff highlighted in pink are some possible cover stories."

Takato grinned. "I _love_ you."

"I know." She said slyly as she picked up her jacket off the chair and put it on. The redhead suddenly stopped. "Crap. My backpack's in_ my _room on the other side of the city. Can I borrow yours?"

"Yeah, go for it." Takato nodded. "Just dump the stuff in it wherever."

Jeri approached the desk, and carefully turned the backpack upside down and gave it a shake—Takato's clothes falling onto it, a few other objects falling on top of the clothes.

"Hey Ryo," Jeri said. "Do I have time to run and pack some food?"

"For sure." Ryo answered. "meet in Rika's room when you're ready?"

Before Jeri could answer, Takato glanced at Ryo. "Hey, is Will gonna have you guys use those headsets again?"

His friend shook his head. "We'll be out of range, which sucks."

"Yeah." Takato murmured. "I think he's helping Wisemon out with something, anyways."

Jeri stepped forward. "Anyone else find it kind of weird that they always have him working on _something_?"

Takato gave a half shrug. "Ryo and I think he's gonna wind up with a D-Arc sooner or later."

"Never thought about that." She paused, before glancing back and forth between Ryo and Takato. "Good thing or bad thing?"

Ryo gave a grim smile. "Good thing because we'd get another fighter, bad thing because I don't _want_ him fighting."

"Well, he wouldn't necessarily be in any more danger if he got one." Jeri looked thoughtful. "I mean, he's done wonders already without actually going into battle, right? He'd be even _safer_ if he had Wisemon looking out for him even more."

_Wisemon?_

Ryo seemed to be absorbing that—even Takato hadn't thought about it that way before. To him, _Tamer equals fighting_. The way it had always been for him. But Jeri's idea did make sense—Kenta and MarineAngemon didn't fight much, they just protected the other Tamers.

"Wisemon?" Takato finally said.

"I thought it would be Giz." Ryo finished.

Again, Jeri looked thoughtful. "Oh. I thought he was always fixing things with Wisemon."

"He is," Takato agreed. "But he's always _building_ things with Giz."

Everyone was quiet for a moment before Jeri spoke. "Well, we're probably getting ahead of ourselves a bit anyways. Anyways, I'll see you in Rika's room in a few."

Jeri disappeared out the door and down the hall, leaving Takato with Ryo. He hadn't gotten to see much of Ryo in the last two days—which was somewhat stressful on Takato's part. Takato certainly _trusted_ all his friends, but Ryo was the only one he felt he could be completely honest with—aside from Jeri, of course. But then again, there were things he didn't like talking to Jeri about—he loved her with all his heart, but she was easily upset, and he didn't like upsetting her—so he avoided talking about things like Adrie, or that whole impending-apocalypse-thing.

"So I was thinking," Ryo said suddenly.

"_No way._" Takato mocked.

Ryo made a face, but just for a second. "We met up with Renamon on our very first day back here." He declared.

Takato raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"Well, we met up with Guardromon the day after that." Ryo went on. "And then Cyberdramon just after that."

Takato nodded, wondering when Ryo was going to get to the point. "Yeah?"

Ryo looked concerned. "So I was thinking that it's sorta weird that we haven't run into Terriermon yet. Isn't it?"

Takato hadn't given it much thought. It was all just luck—wasn't it? They were bound to find him sooner or later.

"Maybe." Takato said thoughtfully.

Ryo shrugged a little. "I don't know…Henry must be missing him, though."

Ryo was probably right, and Takato agreed, but he hadn't actually talked to Henry himself. And he doubted that Ryo had, either—particularly because Henry hadn't been exactly fond of Ryo since he ran off to America half a year back.

Finding Terriermon _would_ be really helpful, though…Henry could do some serious damage when he biomerged, and if they had Terriermon, then they would _actually_ be as strong as they were going to get. Takato just wished there was a way they could speed up the process.

_Hey, wait a sec…_

"Do you think the Circle could find Terriermon?" Takato suggested. "They found me, didn't they?"

Ryo made a face. "Not really. One of the Destroyer's agents knew where you were, so they had something to go off of."

_Okay, so I'm gonna have to rewrite a huge section of this stupid report if I got this part wrong._

"But didn't Wisemon do some thing where he showed _you_ where I was?"

"_Oh_." Ryo said, realizing. "That. Right. Uh, maybe...it didn't actually show me _where_ you were, it just made me think that you were—kind of, well, dying."

"Ah." Takato said, defeated.

It probably wasn't a good idea anyways…particularly because the orders from Hypnos would most likely say to go after the next disturbances, rather than track down Terriermon. And as much as Takato hated to admit it, that was totally reasonable—to find things they _could_ locate rather than hunt down one digimon out of the entire world.

_Then again, we _did_ find Giz._

Perhaps he just didn't want to get Henry's hopes up. Morale was, in a word, shitty. Takato noticed, however, that Ryo was the one who looked troubled.

"Something wrong?" Takato asked.

Ryo paused. "How's Cronus?"

Takato let out a sigh, shaking his head a little. "Barely said a word." Takato admitted.

"I tried going to talk to him earlier—didn't say anything."

Takato frowned. "Yeah, it's not just you."

Ryo scratched the back of his head. "Will's been bringing him his meals," he started. "But I guess Cronus just says 'thanks' and asks to be alone."

_More than he's said to me…_

When Takato didn't say anything, Ryo did. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"I hope so." Takato murmured. "The only thing we can give him's time…I just hope that's all he needs."

* * *

Cronus stared at the glass of ice water Will had brought him, the small drops of condensation grouping together and rolling down the side, and gathering as a nearly transparent ring at the base.

"You really should use a coaster when you're a guest somewhere, you know." A girl's voice said from behind him with a laugh.

He didn't move, and his eyes were still locked on the glass. He'd been staring at it for several minutes, when the ice cubes were much larger.

"It's not polite, sweetie." She continued as she walked to his front, Adrie kneeling down next to him.

_Not real._

She placed a hand on his knee. He could feel her warmth—no, he could feel warmth, but it wasn't _her_. Not Adrie.

But he looked at her, though he knew he shouldn't have. She was smiling at him—the smile that made him feel so happy only a day before. Her face was the same, but it was her hair that was different. Before, it had been black, with red highlights. But now it was blonde …a little lighter than his own hair. Her natural hair color—like she'd told him on their date.

He couldn't help but look. She was so beautiful.

She gently rocked his knee back and forth. "It's not polite to stare, either, Cronus." She said with a grin.

"You're not real." He whispered, gathering his strength.

She brushed a strand of hair out of the way, tucking it behind her ear. "What makes you say that?"

He looked at her hand, and then at her. "Because I killed you."

She smirked. "Ah, don't worry about it." Adrie said, standing up, her hand leaving his knee. "Besides, even if I am just inside that devilishly handsome head of yours, there's a coaster sitting right next to the glass."

Cronus was confused, but he complied. There was already a ring of water on the table, though, and as he stared at it, Adrie was making a _tsk tsk_ sound. "Now look what you've done, silly." She said with a sigh.

He looked to her and froze. A bullet hole in her chest, blood pouring out of it. Her hair was black and red again. His mouth went dry, while she tugged at the clothing, examining the mark.

"This is gonna leave a stain." She sighed, before looking at him. "You owe me a new shirt."

"Adrie!" Cronus whispered loudly as he darted awake, her name still on his lips. He looked to the table, the glass of water on it, the coaster right next to it. He didn't bother fixing it. Rings of water didn't really matter when you felt like you were being torn apart.

* * *

Reed stepped into the room, Henry staring back at him on the screen. Reed hadn't actually been summoned, but had a question for Henry. But Henry must have known, because he looked like he was waiting—and Reed wasn't happy.

"Yes?" Henry asked politely as Reed approached the monitor.

Reed got straight to the point. "Why is it that Cronus is seeing things that _I_ can't see?"

The surveillance showed him talking to people that weren't there. Talking to Adriana. Reed knew exactly _why_ Cronus was seeing her, but he wanted the Destroyer to confirm it.

"I borrowed that project of yours." Henry said simply. "The one you used on Ryo and Jeri, to make them see _their_ loved ones."

Reed's stomach twisted. "That's _my_ program." He said coldly.

"Yes, and you work for _me_." Henry countered confidently.

"We have _no_ use for him if he's insane." Reed said calmly, masking his fury.

Henry raised an eyebrow. "I believed you described him as a 'lost cause' already."

He had. Back when Cronus and Takato refused to turn against each other. Before Reed knew how Cronus's power was accessed.

"That program is incredibly insecure." Reed said calmly. "Until we know what exactly Cronus is capable of, we need to assume he can do anything—including analyze code like that."

"Aw, you're worried about me?" Henry snickered.

Reed rolled his eyes. "I've invested too much time and effort into this for you to go and fuck everything up now."

"Love you, too." Henry said sarcastically.

Reed's patience was wearing thin, but before he could say anything, he heard movement behind him. Gigadramon entered the room.

"Ah, there you are." Henry said politely.

Reed was confused. "Why's he here?"

Henry gave him a look. "Because I _invited_ him."

He realized that Henry hadn't been waiting for Reed at all; he'd been waiting for Gigadramon.

"Yes, master?"

"I've got a job for you, Gigadramon." Henry explained.

Reed perked up, but Henry turned to him. "Reed, you can go."

_Damn it._

It was the one room in the complex where he was incapable of having surveillance. Where he couldn't eavesdrop. But there wasn't anything he could do, and he walked to the door.

"Oh, and Reed?" Henry called.

He turned.

Henry smirked. "Shut the door on your way out."

* * *

"Anyways, I should probably go meet Rika and the others." Ryo said, scratching his head. He'd spent more time talking to Takato than he probably should have, and the others were probably wondering where he was.

"Yeah, that's probably true." Takato replied.

"See you in a few hours." Ryo said, giving a fake salute. "I'll bring her back in one piece."

Takato smirked. "Damn right you will." He started writing in the notebook again.

Ryo grinned and headed for the door.

"Oh, hey, Ryo?" Takato called. Ryo stopped, turning curiously.

"Yeah?"

"What do you want for your birthday?" Takato asked.

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "My birthday's not for like three weeks."

Takato shrugged. "Yeah, but you're a picky little bitch, and the stuff here's all weird, even by your standards."

"I am not _little_." Ryo said defiantly, Takato grinning. Ryo continued to the door.

"Well, what do you want?" Takato called.

"Surprise me." Ryo answered with a shrug.

Ryo absolutely hated birthdays. His own, anyways—other peoples' he didn't mind at all. His birthday was close to Christmas, so it was easier for him to not let people make a big deal about it. His eighteenth was fast approaching, and he wasn't excited for it. He should have asked for a time machine. That would have been great.

He pushed the door open, and realized that the others were indeed already there, as were their partners, and so was Cyberdramon, Wisemon, Giz, Will, and Calumon.

"Took you long enough." Rika smirked as he walked into the room.

"Yeah, sorry." He said apologetically. "Battle plans…you know how it is." He lied.

"We got so bored that Rika here told us you're a sloppy kisser." Kazu said smugly, his hands behind his head.

"W-what?" Rika was shocked. "I did not!"

Jeri burst into a fit of laughter, followed by Will and Kazu. The digimon just looked confused, and Rika still stunned—Ryo himself could feel he was turning red.

"Oh, man." Kazu snickered, wiping a tear from his eye, grinning at Jeri. "I think these two getting together made all our lives like a million times better. The jokes just keep coming and coming."

"Don't forget I can still kick your ass." Ryo reminded him.

"Yeah, but it'd still totally be worth it." Kazu grinned.

"What's 'sloppy'?" Calumon whispered to Will all-too-loudly.

"Uh, anyways…" Will started. "You guys all have everything you need? Data spikes, food, water, scanner?"

"Check, check, check, and check." Jeri nodded.

"No headsets?" Kazu frowned.

Will shook his head. "They work by relaying the messages back to the master terminal here, and then to each of the slave-type units that we all wear, and you guys are gonna be out of range, so you can't even use them to communicate with each other, I'm afraid." He frowned guiltily. "If you wanna go in like a week I can probably come up with something or other, but right now I've got nothing."

Ryo shrugged. "We probably won't be around here in a week."

"Let's get going," Rika suggested. "I wanna be back before dinner."

"That's probably a good idea." Jeri said with a nod.

Wisemon took a step forward. "Please do be careful."

They spent several more minutes promising to be cautious, Will and Wisemon sounding particularly worried. When they finally pried themselves away, Ryo and the others headed north, towards the location found by Henry. He glanced at the scanner, hoping for something new and exciting to look at, but it still just a bunch of numbers. Boring.

He was walking beside Rika, with Jeri and Kazu a few paces behind them. He glanced at her.

"So I'm not _actually_ a sloppy kisser, am I?" he asked, nervous.

"You do fine." Rika said with a laugh, giving his hand a squeeze.

He heard some '_woo_'-ing from behind him, and turned to see Kazu and Jeri smiling at them innocently.

"Just pretend we're not here." Jeri suggested.

"You two are like our own studio audience." Rika smirked.

They really were. But Ryo had a better counter.

"So, seeing as how my best friend's the Gogglehead, I _do_ hear about things." Ryo said simply, smugly.

Jeri's eyebrows raised. "Aaaaand—truce it is." She said, surprised. "Well played."

"Thank you." Ryo replied.

"Have any dirt on me?" Kazu asked.

Ryo frowned, wishing he did. But Rika spoke up.

"I know your middle name." she suggested.

"Fine, fine, truce." Kazu grumbled, before muttering a quiet, "No fun."

The walk was pretty fun, but it was tiring. They talked about everything—school, mutual friends back home, parents—or lack thereof, and even each other—specifically, just how much they'd changed over the years.

"I think Rika's less scary than she used to be." Kazu said, turning to her. "But I'm still terrified of you, so don't worry."

"Oh, good." Rika nodded. "Well, if you told me a few years back that Goggleboy would be the leader, I'd probably have just jumped off a building. I'll be the first to admit he's doing a damn better job than I ever could."

"Don't tell him I'm telling you this," Jeri spoke up. "But I think he actually likes it when you guys disagree with him. He actually cares what everyone has to say."

"Yeah, that's what I mean." Rika replied. "Like, if I was in charge, every plan would involve Kazu hitting himself in the head with a hammer."

"That _is_ true, you really would." Kazu confirmed. "I think Ryo here's grown up, too, though."

Ryo's brow raised. "Henry and I were the only relatively mature ones as it was." He said smugly.

"Yeah, but now you're bill-paying-big-brother Ryo." Jeri noted. "I really don't know how you do it."

Ryo shrugged. "Will's easy to take care of."

He really was—he was probably a better cook than Ryo, though both were pretty good from working in the restaurant. Ryo did try to be the best brother he could be, though. He was always kind to him, and listened whenever Will needed it. He wondered if they'd still have gotten along so well if they'd actually been _raised_ together.

Then again, Will himself had given Ryo more than one pep-talk. Ryo really hated the pressure—paying bills, and rent, and doing well in school, and working at the coffee shop part-time, and everything. His mother had left a near fortune, so they didn't really have to worry about money, and Ryo's own extra little income didn't hurt, but he took no chances, and he suffered through it.

They talked a bit more, before they finally arrived at their destination. The disturbance was sort of difficult to spot—they were in the middle of a giant grassy field, and some of the grass was taller than others, making the small stream of data a pain to see. But they found it, and gathered around.

"Who wants the honors?" Ryo asked.

"Oh, me." Kazu raised a hand. Jeri handed him a data spike.

He knelt down and pierced the ground with it, the spectacular display of lights and colors that followed still as impressive as the very first one that they saw, back under Sarian.

"Cool." He said, finally.

"Time for the walk back, now?" Jeri asked.

"Looks like." Ryo said grimly. His feet hurt, but they'd have to keep walking if they were going to be back in Hyperion before dark.

His blood ran cold, and he knew something was off. Looking to his friends, Ryo realized that he wasn't the only one.

"Anybody else feel that…?" Rika asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ryo saw something move—air. It looked like a sort of distortion, but it was becoming more and more opaque. Something was appearing.

It was only a foot or so taller than him, but what was strange was that it was a Gigadramon—they were supposed to be _way_ bigger than that.

"A Gigadramon?" Kazu asked, curious.

"Why's it little?" Rika too, was confused.

Jeri—their ambassador—took a step towards it, probably to see what it wanted, but Renamon touched her shoulder, and stopped her in her tracks, before the redhead complied and moved behind the fox.

The Gigadramon let out a low growl which turned into a laugh.

"You're right on time." It said.

_What…?_

"This power—" Renamon murmured.

Ryo realized it—it was the same as he felt when he was near BlueMeramon.

"You're the Destroyer's third herald, aren't you?" Ryo finally said.

Ryo had learned about them from Will, who had learned about them from Riley. The Destroyer had three heralds, who were his top-three servants. One was Reed, one was BlueMeramon, and Gigadramon was apparently the last one. Ryo knew it, even if the dragon didn't answer.

"You've all become a collective thorn in my master's paw." The monster cooed. "You did a real number on his army."

"Yeah, well, we'll kick the Destroyer's ass just as well." Kazu taunted.

Gigadramon laughed again. "You'd have to go through his real army, first."

_Real army…?_

"What do you mean by that?" Rika demanded.

"Just what I said, my dear. What you fought was only a fraction of his forces."

_How could that possibly have been a fraction?_

"That's bullshit." Ryo said, not believing it. "There's not even that many digimon in this whole world."

"Not alive, that's true." Gigadramon admitted. "But you really haven't figured it out, have you?"

The Tamers said nothing, and Gigadramon laughed once more. "Unbelievable."

The Destroyer's army was made of thousands and thousands of creatures that neither Ryo nor Rika had ever seen—and between the two of them, they'd seen them all. Their D-Arcs told them nothing, which made Ryo doubt that they were even digimon at all.

"I'm sure you people all know that in this world, one is more than just the data that composes it." It said, clearly proud that it knew something they didn't. "What do you think happens to that extra-something when the body is destroyed?"

"That's not true." Renamon challenged, but her voice was wavering.

"Oh, it is." Gigadramon replied before he turned to Ryo. "And guess where many of those creatures came from?"

_No…_

His heart sank.

"That's right." It went on. "The souls of those you killed at Galatea, when you chose to 'save' your friends. The more unsettled the life-form during its death, the more agents are spawned to the Destroyer's army." Gigadramon turned to Rika. "Your father was an impeccable bonus."

Before Ryo could even look to Rika himself, she'd already grabbed something off of her belt.

"Biomerge, activate!"

* * *

Reed was watching Cronus. He'd been in the room for a full minute, but Cronus either hadn't noticed or didn't care. The boy was still sitting on the couch, staring at the glass of water on the table. The ice had all melted.

"The water here doesn't taste _that_ awful, does it?" Reed asked, circling around to the front of the couch, the knives on his belt making clinking noises with each step. It was impossible that Cronus didn't notice him before. He must have. He just really _didn't_ care.

"Here to torture me again?" Cronus asked.

Reed's face twisted. "No, but sorry 'bout that."

Cronus didn't flinch the slightest. Still staring at the glass of water.

"Not gonna ask why I'm here?" Reed asked.

Cronus shrugged. "No."

Reed's head tilted to one side. Usually the Tamers were so much more—_lively_ when he visited.

"I've got a job for you." Reed said simply.

Cronus shook his head, still not looking at him. "Find someone else."

Reed bit his lip. "The Destroyer's third herald is going to kill your friends who went to investigate that disturbance. If you don't hurry."

Cronus still didn't acknowledge he was even listening. Reed tried a different approach.

"Doing this would be getting some revenge on the Destroyer." He pressed.

"If it's not against the Destroyer itself, then I don't care." Cronus replied quietly.

_God damn it._

What the Destroyer had done to Adriana had taken even more of a toll on Cronus than Reed had expected. Reed suddenly realized that perhaps the Destroyer was doing what it was doing in order to throw Reed's plans off course.

"You _have_ to go." Reed said flatly.

"No." Cronus finally shook his head. "I can't save anyone."

Reed hesitated a moment. "You honestly believe that?"

"The Destroyer…it can't be beaten." Cronus said, still staring at the table.

_Maybe not._

"That might be the case." Reed admitted. "But you're not alone."

"What?"

"Working together—you've accomplished a lot more than even I expected you to." Reed said calmly. "There was a loss, yes—but are you really _that_ weak that you're going to give up entirely?"

Cronus met his gaze. Light brown eyes. Like Carter's.

"I'm a monster." Cronus said quietly.

Reed shrugged. "And you think _I'm_ normal? We're in the damn _digital world._ We're _all _freaks. Get over it."

Cronus's eyebrows raised. "Not exactly the most motivating thing I've ever heard."

_I'm just getting annoyed now._

Reed couldn't get his attention—Cronus was too far gone. He needed to offer him something different. Something he would never find elsewhere.

"I'm sure you've heard about Carter—the boy who looks like you." Reed said carefully.

He could tell from the expression on Cronus's face that Reed _had_ gotten his attention. Cronus nodded slowly. "Yes…?"

Reed inhaled sharply. "What I'm about to tell you, you can't share with anyone. Understand?"

Cronus nodded once more. "I know how to keep a secret."

Reed believed him. "When you—and several other digimon—were transported into Valn's experimental region, you were all turned human. That much you already know. All the other people in that village were based off of human DNA and characteristics selected and predetermined by Valn. But _you_, specifically, were based off of a human being that Valn never knew existed: Carter. That makes you extremely special."

Cronus was clearly making efforts not to move, but he was almost shaking. Still, the boy said nothing.

"I'm sure you've already figured that out, but I'm going to make you an offer." Reed continued. "You and Carter are two entirely different people, but _biologically_, you _are_ him. Now—if you do what I say…if you go and help your _friends_…I'll let you see a picture of your parents."

Cronus seemed to be frozen, and so Reed took a step forward. "One time offer." He said coolly. "What happened to Adriana was a tragedy…but if you don't do this, it _will_ happen to Ryo, Rika, Kazu, and Jeri, as well. Do you want that to happen?"

The ex-digimon shook his head. "No."

"Then go save them." Reed said flatly.

The boy who looked like Carter nodded slowly, but he then shook his head. "I can't fight anymore. You told me yourself—when I feel like this, I—"

"That's been corrected." Reed replied quickly.

Cronus looked at him. "_What?_"

Reed had studied him during the torture, and developed a small program which would correct the paradox of Cronus's digital side conflicting with his human side. Given enough time, Reed would have made it so _he_ could control how much power Cronus had access to, but it had proven difficult. The end result was that Cronus's emotions would no longer kill him.

"If I hadn't corrected it, what happened to Adriana would have literally killed you." Reed explained calmly. "But we don't have enough time to talk about this—you have to _go_, _now_."

Cronus stood up, and looked at his hands. "I don't feel any more powerful."

Reed bit his lip. "The power's there—but I can't help you control it."

Cronus looked indignant. "Well how am I supposed to help everyone if I can't—"

"You're an extremely special case." Reed interrupted him coldly. "And your power isn't _my_ responsibility, so do something for yourself, for a change."

As bitter as it had come out, Cronus seemed to have agreed with him, and he nodded slowly. "Okay. Tell me where they are?"

Reed closed his eyes. He'd examined the program that Wisemon and Meteormon had run during the war—the one which had sent Jeri into the Destroyer's base, and also pulled her out, along with Henry, Takato, and Cronus. He'd already been able to travel quickly on his own, but it was a good discovery because he could now move others just as easily—like dropping Cronus in the middle of a battle.

_Just next to one, actually._

Reed could feel the world reshaping around him and Cronus. When he opened his eyes, he could see Gigadramon in the distance, and three figures actively moving around him—HiAndromon, Justimon, and Sakuyamon. He could see Jeri, too.

_Goddamn it._

He wasn't sure if he knew how, but he had to try—he had to try to send Jeri back to the city, without letting her see him. He closed his eyes, concentrating. He pictured Hyperion. The towers. The coordinates. Reed was already drained from bringing Cronus with him, but he managed—when he opened his eyes, Jeri was gone, sent back to her room in the city. Reed nearly toppled over, but kept his footing.

Cronus started towards them, but Reed grabbed his shoulder. Cronus's brown eyes met Reed's blues.

"Knock me out, take the knives." Reed said through gritted teeth, not looking forward to it.

He certainly _did_ have more than enough knives. Six were attached to his belt—three on each side. On his left leg, a black strap coiled from his waist to his knee, another four holstered to it; and on his right leg the same setup, only from his waist all the way down to his ankle.

Reed undid the strap at his ankle, the one at his knee, and the other at his hip—and he tossed the collection of blades to the ground.

"Why do I have to…?" Cronus sounded nervous.

"If you don't, Gigadramon will be able to sense that I was here, if he hasn't already." Reed explained. "And if he makes it away, I can't have that information forwarded to the Destroyer."

Cronus just stared at him, and Reed glared back.

"_Do_ it." Reed ordered, closing his eyes.

He didn't _see_ it coming, but he definitely felt it.

* * *

Ryo, Rika, and Kazu had all biomerged with Cyberdramon, Renamon, and Guardromon. Gigadramon had—_grown_. It had increased in size to even larger than that type normally was. Rika was keeping her head cooler than Ryo had expected her to, after what Gigadramon had revealed about the Destroyer's army.

It had been made out of digimon that had returned to the world. Not just digimon, though—any living thing that died there. Like Rika's father. After being turned to a monster, he had been killed by Cronus a few months back, when Dr. Nonaka had attacked Takato, Henry, and Mala.

Gigadramon's attacks were annoying, to say the least. His Darkside Attack launched missiles at them, and by the time Ryo or any of the others had dodged them all, the monster was readying another volley of them.

Most annoying of all, though, was the fact that the monster's head, hands, wings, and the underside of its stomach to the tail were nearly covered in metal armor. Which had increased in size and width as Gigadramon had, making the shielding nearly impenetrable.

Ryo—as Justimon—jumped towards its tail, the red energy from his Voltage Blade armed. It drove into Gigadramon's stomach, but the giant simply swung its tail, as a whip that snapped Justimon off of it, and back through the air. He landed on his feet some distance away, crouching.

_This isn't working._

He'd gotten Jeri clear of the fighting, and she looked like she was using the Hypnos device for something—probably trying to call in some help. At least she wasn't in danger.

HiAndromon's attacks were powerful as hell, but they Gigadramon was dodging them all too easily. Ryo had instructed him to take out Gigadramon's wings, but even if an attack hit them, they looked to be either plated with or even _made_ of metal, so there was no guarantee they could be destroyed remotely easily.

Sakuyamon was the only one among them who could fly—but she wasn't fast enough in the air to dodge the missiles from Gigadramon's darkside attack, and the missiles were _constantly_ pouring out.

"We need a new plan." Rika murmured, landing next to him.

"None of my attacks are going deep enough." Ryo said, ready to dodge the next attack.

He rolled to his left, while Rika jumped to her right, the middle area between them exploding from the attack, the once-green grass left burning and charred. He regrouped with Sakuyamon.

"Well," Rika sounded nervous. "There's always that stunt we pulled against the D-Reaper."

_What stunt's she talking ab—_

"_That?_" Ryo gawked. He'd realized what she was talking about was when they were fighting one of the D-Reaper's larger agents, Sakuyamon had transferred all of her power into Justimon's blade. The result was a damaging attack, but it left Sakuyamon nearly defenseless. Then again, they didn't have a lot of choice.

"You sure?" he murmured.

"Yeah." She nodded. "It's our best shot."

_She's right._

"Follow me." Ryo ordered, leaping towards HiAndromon. He landed next to his friend, but then had to dodge another series of missiles. "Kazu, you've got an attack called Copy-Paste. It can duplicate Gigadramon's attacks."

"I know, but the copied attacks are always way weaker than the real ones." Kazu replied.

Rika fielded the response. "We don't need damage, we need a diversion." She explained.

"Once Rika and I get to Gigadramon's other side, send out as many missiles as you possibly can." Ryo ordered. "Got it?"

"You're the boss." HiAndromon replied.

Justimon went left, Sakuyamon went right. Gigadramon was flying, but not as far off the ground as Ryo knew it was capable of. Thankfully.

"Ready when you are." Ryo confirmed as he met up with Rika behind it. He was temporarily distracted by a series of explosions, and he saw that HiAndromon had sent out dozens of missiles at a time towards the monster—some of which made contact, others that simply destroyed some of Gigadramon's own attacks. Their opponent found the ploy amusing, but Kazu kept it up, and the creature was distracted.

Rika had done the transfer before he even knew she started it—she looked visibly weaker, her armor all but gone. Ryo, however, felt more powerful than ever, the red blade on his arm glowing brighter and longer.

He didn't hesitate, and he rushed towards Gigadramon, jumping onto its lower back. He simply didn't have time to get to its head, knowing he could be thrown off at any moment, and he dragged the energy blade along the monster's spine as he ran up the snake-like body.

It screamed and writhed, but Ryo managed to stay on it, and he could see that HiAndromon was charging up his Death Boom attack. Ryo made it about three-quarters up the giant, to the middle of its back, before he lost balance as its wings flapped harder, and the creature went slightly higher into the air. As he fell towards the ground he saw Kazu's attack hit the creature in the face, leaving a scorched mark on its metal mask.

But when he landed on the ground, he was more surprised about who was next to him.

"Cronus?" Ryo shouted in disbelief.

_Where the _hell_ did he come from?_

He was wearing a white long-sleeved tee, and some brown cargo pants—overtop of them, a complicated-looking series of straps, attached to which were a whole lot of knives and daggers.

"W—where's Jeri?" Kazu demanded, looking around frantically. Ryo too, looked around. She wasn't there.

"She's back at the city." Cronus replied, his eyes locked on Gigadramon.

_Rika…_

Ryo rushed towards her—she was barely standing, and he didn't trust her to be fast enough to dodge Gigadramon's attacks in her condition. HiAndromon backed up some and charged more attacks—he probably stopped the Copy-Paste move to avoid accidentally hitting Cronus, who charged towards the monster as it approached the ground again.

Gigadramon let out a low throaty laugh, before he turned all of his attention on the boy. Ryo was dragging Sakuyamon aside, her staff falling to the grass quietly.

"Darkside Attack!" Gigadramon shouted, his metal claws opening up and a barrage of missiles firing out.

_Damn it—_

Ryo _jumped_—farther as a digimon than he could ever hope to as a human—carrying Sakuyamon with him. Unfortunately he was weakened himself, and he fell to one knee as he landed, panting heavily.

"Ugh…" he heard Rika moan. "I don't feel good…" she murmured quietly.

"Hang in there." Ryo replied quickly, staring back at Gigadramon. Cronus had managed to avoid all the missiles, and had apparently picked up Sakuyamon's staff.

He heard a noise next to him, and Ryo realized that HiAndromon had landed next to them.

"What in the hell's he trying to do?" Kazu demanded.

"He's distracting him." Ryo murmured. He turned to his friend. "Think you can take out the wings now?"

HiAndromon shook his head quickly. "He's still moving too fast, and my attacks are too slow…but I'll do what I can."

With that, he was off. Ryo turned back to Rika when he felt her stir. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." She sat up. "You think we'd have learned our lesson about that one."

Ryo's attention was taken by a flash of light, and he turned just in time to see Kazu's attack miss Gigadramon's wings.

_He's still too fast…he reads us too well._

"Let's get back out there." Rika said suddenly as she stood up.

* * *

Cronus let out a growl as he pressed himself against the ground, Gigadramon's claws piercing the ground next to him. He got to his feet quickly, still clutching Sakuyamon's staff, and ran towards the digimon's body. Gigadramon's physical form was probably one of the most difficult ones possible for Cronus to fight—the only part near the ground was the tail. And not only was it a much smaller target, but it moved faster than the rest of Gigadramon, too.

The tail started to move towards him, and he wasn't fast enough—it whipped him in the chest, upwards, and he started to soar backwards through the air—

—Cronus still clenched Sakuyamon's staff, not looking forward to when he hit the ground.

—but he felt something behind him mid-air, and he quickly turned to see Justimon had jumped up and caught him. The landing was harmless, for which Cronus was appreciative.

They'd wound up behind Gigadramon. Close to him, but out of range from the damn tail.

"Thanks." Cronus murmured, suddenly pointing at Gigadramon's head—the giant was distracted by HiAndromon, who seemed to be able to dodge most of the attacks successfully, but was unable to charge up enough to attack back. "Get me up there."

Justimon tilted his head. "You sure?" Ryo asked.

Justimon knelt down, his palms overlapping, face up. Cronus stepped onto it, and in an instant, Ryo launched him up in the air, flying towards Gigadramon.

He grabbed onto one of the spikes at the back of Gigadramon's headguard, and pulled himself upright with both hands, Sakuyamon's staff tucked under his right arm. Cronus managed to keep his balance, and he was certain that Gigadramon didn't even notice that he was there.

The entire upper-half of the monster's head was plated in metal, and Cronus wasn't sure that he could actually pierce it. But there was an exposed area—two actually. Eyes.

Cronus moved quick, knowing he could be tilted off at any time. He approached the left side, crouched down, and _jammed_ the end of the staff into the eye, a horrible sound coming from the injury itself, and a pained scream from Gigadramon. Cronus almost lost his balance as Gigadramon started to go airborne, and he repeated the motion twice more until he was certain that the monster had been blinded on one side.

But when he tried to remove the staff to repeat the process on the other side, he lost his balance, and was unable to even grab hold of the still-protruding weapon. He was high enough up that he couldn't see any details on the ground below, which raced towards him—

—but one of the other things that was rushing towards him was Sakuyamon, who grabbed him with both arms, Cronus's stomach clenching uncomfortably as he stopped falling.

"I got ya." Rika whispered to him. She had him held in a hug and started leading him back to the ground, Cronus still facing the sky—

—and he suddenly saw six small black objects. Missiles—Gigadramon's Darkside Attack.

"Look out!" Cronus shouted.

Sakuyamon looked over her shoulder and started to dodge them. She could have turned around entirely and improved her odds, but she didn't—Cronus realized that she was shielding her.

He realized she shouldn't have when the fifth missile hit her square in the back, and he heard Rika and Renamon screaming in agony.

"Rika!" he shouted as she let him go, both he and Sakuyamon falling to the ground. The sixth missile was coming at her fast, but with his arms now free, Cronus grabbed a knife from his leg and threw it at the explosive. It wasn't enough to detonate it mid-air, but it threw it off-course, and it missed Sakuyamon—but only barely.

It dawned on him that something _had_ indeed changed. He was doing things humans shouldn't be able to do. Some of his powers had reawakened—

_Awakened..._

Reed had used the word before, during the torture session. Was this what he had been talking about? Cronus being able to use his abilities...?

He could see Justimon jumping up towards them, but Cronus and Sakuyamon were too far from each other for Ryo to catch them both. Cronus indicated Sakuyamon fiercely. She had to get to the ground before she separated to Renamon and Rika.

Before Cronus could start to worry about himself, he saw HiAndromon had jumped up and grabbed hold of him.

The landing wasn't as comfortable as when Justimon had helped him—probably due to the fact that HiAndromon was entirely covered in metal.

"Thanks." Cronus grunted.

"Good job on its eye." Kazu congratulated him. "But that was the grossest thing I've ever seen."

Cronus said nothing, but pulled a dagger from the strap on his leg, clenching the handle with both hands. He knew Kazu was curious as to where they'd come from—or even where _Cronus_ had come from, but there wasn't time for that.

Justimon moved to Cronus's right, but Cronus didn't acknowledge him. Instead, he turned to Kazu. "Throw me." Cronus said simply, before tilting his head toward Ryo. "And him, too."

They both looked at him, clearly unsure, and Cronus explained himself quickly. "Ryo, grab hold of its wings, and do whatever it takes to break them. _Saw_ them off if you have to." He ordered flatly.

Ryo nodded in agreement, and HiAndromon threw Justimon hard—HiAndromon was physically bigger than Justimon, and when it came to brute strength like that, probably stronger, too. Cronus watched with anticipation as the long red scarf soared towards the wings—Justimon grabbing onto the very end of one, climbing down to the base of it.

"Now me." Cronus declared. HiAndromon grabbed him, one hand on the back of his shirt, the other on the seat of his pants, and _threw_ him. He was moving considerably faster than when Justimon had simply flipped him up, but that might have proven to be an advantage.

_Or not._

Gigadramon was looking at him—with its good eye—and aimed its metal claw at him. Cronus managed to grab hold of the claw—the missiles fired from the very center of it, and so he was too close to be hit. He climbed up the arm, and looked at where the metal met the flesh.

He had no idea how Ryo was doing with the wings, but he had to assume he was alright. Gigadramon was clearly more powerful than anything Cronus had ever fought. But Cronus was going to kill it, plain and simple. Even if he had to take it apart, piece by piece. There were four large cables that connected its arm to its body. He stabbed at them furiously with the dagger, until he saw the arm itself start to react. He kept cutting through the cables, and was actually surprised when the arm exploded.

It screamed, but it didn't writhe as much as it had when he'd pierced its eye. Cronus climbed to its upper back, where Ryo had nearly cut through one of the wings.

"That's good enough." Cronus said. If Gigadramon flapped it too hard, it would just fall off anyways. "Give me your digivice."

"What?" Ryo replied. "I'll devolve if I do that."

"I know." Cronus said quickly. "Please, hurry."

Cronus had stabbed the knife into an area on the back of Gigadramon's neck, but he was sure the giant couldn't even feel it. But it served as a source of balance for Cronus. Justimon handed him his D-Arc, changing back to Ryo and Cyberdramon the instant it left his hand.

"Hope you know what you're doing." Ryo murmured as Cyberdramon picked up up and flew him away.

Of course he knew. He was born to fight.

Cyberdramon was almost as nimble as Justimon was, so Cronus was sure they'd be able to dodge what they needed to. Cronus pulled the knife out of Gigadramon's neck and put it back in the strap next to his knee, propping himself against the part of Gigadramon's wing that Ryo had been cutting at—it was barely moving, which helped.

He looked to the deep-blue D-Arc. He held it above his head, swinging it downward hard. Nothing. He tried again, to no avail. He was about to regret sending Justimon away before it worked on the third try—a long glowing whip swinging out of the screen. Ryo had demonstrated it to the Tamers when they'd first run into him in the digital world, as a method of controlling Cyberdramon. It looked to be made of almost pure light, and it retracted itself when Cronus was done staring at it. He stood himself up, and swung the D-Arc again, as hard as he could, this time to the side. It swung around the monster's neck, and Cronus silently prayed it was long enough to make it all the way around—it was. He grabbed hold of the end as it came round with his other hand.

It burned like hell.

But he squeezed it tighter, pushing with his legs, pulling with his arms. Gigadramon was clearly in absolute agony, and moving accordingly, but Cronus had too strong of a grip, so he simply moved in time with it.

His hand felt like it was on fire—it very well could have been. But he could see the data start to disappear from the sides of Gigadramon's neck. With one final pull, Gigadramon simply disappeared into a cloud of data, and Cronus was falling through the air. He was caught by Cyberdramon, who carried him down to the ground. He looked at his right hand, which had held onto the whip. It still hurt, a lot—the flesh was singed all over, but the worst marks were a line across his palm, and another across his fingertips. His hand was shaking, but he just made a fist and let the pain pass.

"_Rika!_" Ryo suddenly called.

Cronus turned, and saw that she and Renamon had devolved into their separate selves—both of whom were unconscious, the ground around them black and scorched—Rika's back included.

Cronus and Kazu both hurried over too, while Ryo carefully turned her over. She murmured something incoherent, but she didn't exactly wake up.

"Cyberdramon." Ryo said, terror on his face as he looked up. "Take her back to the city, now."

* * *

Ryo, Takato, Cronus, Jeri, Henry, Renamon, and Kazu were standing in the infirmary—where Adrie had died the day before. Except this time, it was Rika in the bed in the smaller room, Ryo staring anxiously through the window while Giz and Will examined her.

They'd been in there for what seemed like ages.

Nobody said anything. Henry was silent as ever, probably feeling guilty for having sent them there in the first place. He still didn't know how Jeri had gotten back to the city so fast, but he simply didn't care. Because it didn't matter. All that mattered was Rika.

The trip back had been terrible—not knowing whether or not she was alright. Renamon had woken up just after they'd found them, and was hesitant to let Rika leave her sight—but since Cyberdramon had flown Rika back, she at least got medical attention as soon as she possibly could.

Ryo didn't think Cronus was the Destroyer, not anymore. But seeing him in that fight actually scared Ryo. He was moving faster, more calculated than Ryo had ever seen, and his fighting itself had been ruthless, to say the least. Then again, it also worked. If Cronus hadn't been there, Ryo and the others _would_ have lost. With BlueMeramon and Gigadramon dead, the Destroyer only had one herald left. Reed.

Of course, Ryo had no idea just how many of Reed's goals coincided with their own. He'd been the one to kill BlueMeramon—and had admitted it as a mistake, something about it making 'the other one' stronger. Gigadramon.

Ryo had reported to Takato what Gigadramon had said about the Destroyer's army, and Takato was as shocked as the rest of them had been. Cronus had said nothing, refusing to comment on his ability to fight like that.

Ryo's body stiffened as he saw Will and Giz head from Rika's bedside into the room.

"She'll be okay." Giz reported.

"Can I go in?" Ryo asked.

"Sorry, no." Will shook his head slowly. "The equipment we're using to help her heal needs her to be in the room alone."

Ryo stepped to the window, staring at her. He shook his head, turning to his friends. Henry was the only one looking back at him. Henry, who didn't like Ryo, for having hurt Rika's feelings months ago. Perhaps he was starting to understand how much Ryo cared about her.

Ryo met his grey eyes. "I swear the Destroyer's gonna pay for this."

* * *

_Two down…_

Reed inhaled slowly as he paced around Cronus's room. Since they were fighting in the middle of nowhere, he had no cameras out there, so Reed hadn't seen anything. What he gathered, though, was that they'd somehow managed to kill Gigadramon, but that Rika had come back with an injury, and the Tamers were all waiting for a report on her.

Apparently Cronus had at least stopped by his room, because Reed saw the knives in there. Only one was missing, but Reed had extras to replace it with.

He heard someone head towards the door, and he instinctively got ready to hide, until he realized who it was.

"What's the word?" Reed asked as Cronus stepped into the room.

"She's alright." Cronus said simply.

Reed felt a little better. Not that he was concerned about her, of course. He noticed something strange Cronus was wearing. "What's with the glove?" he asked curiously.

Cronus pulled it off of his right hand, showing Reed a disgusting mess of blood and frayed skin.

_Ugh._

Reed turned and walked to the bookshelf. He'd found a small box of bandages, needles, and surgical threads—sutures—when he was snooping during the wait. He pulled a chair from the desk to the center of the room, and indicated it. Cronus sat down.

Reed knelt down, using a cotton ball and an iodine solution to clean the blood from the wound.

"Is this the same hand that I put a knife through a few weeks back?" Reed asked.

Cronus nodded. "I think so."

"Hmm." Reed murmured, concentrating.

"About our deal…" Cronus started awkwardly.

Reed reached into his back pocket with his left hand, still cleaning the wound with his right, and passed Cronus a fold of paper.

"Remember, you only get to _see_ it, not to keep it." Reed said quietly, discarding the cotton ball for a cleaner one.

"Yeah." Cronus said, staring at it.

Reed paused. "The picture's on the _inside_, you know."

He knew Cronus was hesitating, so Reed took the picture from him and unfolded it for him.

"There." He said simply.

It had a tall man on it, with the same hair as Cronus, but blue eyes. In the picture, he was 21; but the picture was taken a few years ago. The woman was noticeably shorter, but it was almost disguised by the fact that she was sitting down. Her hair was difficult to see since it was short, and with the hat she was wearing, it was almost impossible. It wasn't a light color—but her eyes were the same as Cronus's. Even Reed hadn't looked at the picture in a while, but he didn't let his emotions get stirred.

Cronus simply nodded, before folding the paper up and passing it back to Reed.

"That's it?" Reed was curious. Cronus had gone through an awful lot for just a glance.

"They're not _my_ parents." Cronus said quietly.

_True_.

"No, they're not." Reed murmured. "Anyways, that's where you got that face."

Reed tossed the second cotton ball aside.

"All done?" Cronus asked.

Reed shook his head, picking up a needle and some suture.

"Nope. Ever had stitches before?"

"No." Cronus answered.

"It'll be fun." Reed lied.

"Can't you just use one of those needles you used before? That made the wound close right up?"

"All out." Reed murmured, threading the needle. "Hold still."

The boy's hand stiffened as Reed carefully began to close up the wound. It wasn't until the third stitch that Cronus spoke.

"Right before Gigadramon attacked Ryo and the others, he said that they were 'right on time'." Cronus started cautiously. "He knew they were going to be there?"

Reed pulled the needle up, bringing the two edges of skin closer together. He nodded. "Yes. He knew."

"How?" was Cronus's next question.

Reed bit his lip. "The Destroyer set up the whole thing."

_Damn it._

Reed was finding it more and more difficult to stick to his plans—especially since he found it so hard to lie to Cronus. If the boy had any other face, it wouldn't have been an issue.

"Um…" Cronus sounded nervous, though it could have been the pain. "What he said about the Destroyer's army—that that's what happens when people die here…was that true?"

A hesitation. "Yes."

Cronus was shaking by that point. "Is that gonna happen to Adrie?"

This time, Reed didn't mind telling the truth. "No."

Cronus bowed his head, apparently in thanks.

Reed finished treating the injury, tying the thread and cutting it as close to the skin as he could.

"Don't let anyone see this." Reed said, tossing the leftover supplies back into the kit. Cronus didn't reply.

Reed approached the window, looking down towards the city. It really did make him miss home—of course, the buildings back home were all so much taller than the ones in Hyperion—except for the towers, anyways. But still—he missed his family. His friends. But he wouldn't go back; not empty-handed. He'd either go back home _with_ Carter, or not at all.

He was caring less and less about the digital world's fate. It simply wasn't his concern, not anymore. The Tamers still hadn't figured out his agenda, fortunately. Jeri was the closest, though. He'd have her detained if she got _too_ close to the truth. It wouldn't have been an issue if she hadn't found that damn statue of him. Apparently the digital world had given her a showing of the future as it had calculated it, and apparently, _Reed_ was in it. And Future-Him told her to go to those coordinates. She hadn't learned anything crucial, though…just that '_he'd brought them hope_'.

_Whatever._

She'd learned that he knew about Ryo before all of this started, too, but that wasn't important. If anything, it helped Reed, because it kept them distracted.

He glanced at Cronus, behind him. Cronus wasn't the slightest bit scared. After everything Reed had done to Cronus and his friends, the boy still wasn't scared. Maybe because he didn't care if he died or not, after what happened to Adriana. Or, maybe it was because Reed had been somewhat honest with him.

"I should probably go." Reed said suddenly.

_Miles to go._

Cronus finally turned to him. "Your knives are over there." He said, indicating the desk.

Reed glanced at them. "I've got tons of those. You keep them." He replied. "Just don't let your friends see them."

_Don't let Henry see them._

"Okay…" Cronus said quietly.

Reed stared at him. "I mean it. If you're seen with them, your friends will think you're working with the Destroyer, and the Destroyer'll think I'm working with you."

"Aren't you?" Cronus asked.

Reed gave it a passing thought. "No." he answered.

"So why help us?" Cronus challenged.

Reed squinted. "What you're all doing—it's _important_. But it's not _my_ work. I just don't want to see any more of you get killed for what the Destroyer's doing."

Reed regretted putting it so bluntly; he'd almost forgotten that Cronus was still grieving.

"The Destroyer…" Cronus murmured. "I swear I'll kill it."

Reed closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Reed knew that he was going to regret what he was about to do.

"It's Henry." He said quietly. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't even describe the look on Cronus's face.

"_What_?" Cronus asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Reed turned back to the window, gently placing a hand on it. "A few weeks ago, he and Rika fell ill after they went to this underground shrine-thing. Right after you all met back up with Guardromon." Reed explained. Cronus said nothing, and Reed went on. "That shrine housed the essence of the Destroyer. By the time you used the red data spike, you were able to save Rika from its hold, but Henry was already too far gone. He never _actually_ got better at all. And it's been the Destroyer—not him—since then."

"He led those agents to capture Takato and me…" Cronus said quietly, realizing.

Reed nodded. "Yes."

Cronus suddenly sounded defiant. "What about what happened to Sarian? The agents that attacked that place did it _before_ Henry got sick."

Reed was still looking out the window. "The Destroyer doesn't need a body to have influence." Reed said simply.

"Ryo…" Cronus murmured. "And Kazu, and Rika…Henry led them into a trap…?" he asked, seemly more to himself than to Reed.

Reed paused. "It's not Henry. Not anymore. That's why no 'second consciousness' has been found in him—and that's why Terriermon hasn't been drawn to you all yet."

Reed felt a hand on his shoulder, and he slowly turned to see Cronus staring at him, tears in his eyes.

"Adrie…" he whimpered simply.

He wasn't sure if Cronus had actually been ready for the truth, but there was no going back. It was too late to take it back, and there was little reason to start lying again.

"Yes." Reed confirmed. "He activated the infected data she'd absorbed that tried to take her over. He didn't leave you any choice."

When Cronus blinked, a pair of tears fell from his eyes, but he remained silent.

The conversation Reed was having would certainly complicate things. It would certainly _accelerate_ things. But it might work to Reed's advantage. As it was, Reed needed Cronus's power, and Will's genius. But he couldn't get either until the Destroyer exposed _itself_…Reed knew that Cronus believed the truth, but pointing fingers at Henry wouldn't be enough for the others. "

Reed placed a hand on his arm. "This is why you can't give up." He explained soothingly.

Cronus's gaze narrowed, but he remained silent.

Reed closed his eyes for a second. "He needs to be stopped."

"No." Cronus said flatly, as Reed opened his eyes again. "He needs to die."

* * *

Dun DUN _DUUUUUUUN_. The first part of the story's gonna keep wrapping up from here on. Only four chapters left for this part of the story, though I'm probably going to keep writing past that if there's enough interest, in which case the whole story can be told (the showdown with the Destroyer isn't part of this story arc)

Oh, and I grossed myself out writing the part with Gigadramon getting his eye poked at all those times. Bleh.

Review, please!

-N


	19. One Monster To Another

So, I hope Chapter 18 was enjoyed. I know some of you like the fight scenes, and some of you don't, so I let Cronus find out about Henry a chapter early to make it up to you. Yeah, so I got carried away writing that fight scene. But come on—totally worth it to have the good guys literally take Gigadramon apart one piece at a time.

Anyways, this is where the chapter with Adrie was going to go, but after the switch-around and the original Chapter 17 got scrapped, this one was made on-the-spot.

Glad to hear Reed's coming off as less of a bastard…I promise that it's pretty damn badass what he's doing (Chapter 21 tells exactly what he's been doing behind-the-scenes, and Chapter 22 will give you an idea of what he's doing in the big picture).

So yeah. The first part of this is part of the last scene of the last chapter, but it's in Cronus's POV instead of Reed's, so the majority of it's new (that is, the dialogue is the only recycled part), but it goes past the "He needs to die" part. Also, enjoy the shameless Ryuki scenes.

Enjoy!

* * *

Cronus stared at the white fold of paper, suddenly finding himself without the courage to open it. Reed snagged it from between his fingers, and unfolded it before Cronus could protest.

"There." Reed murmured, continuing to work on the injury across Cronus's palm.

There were Cronus's—no, Carter's parents. The father was tall, and appeared to be young—although, Cronus had no idea how old the picture itself was. The mother was young as well, but Cronus couldn't tell what color her hair was from the way she was wearing it, as well as the hat she wore on top. Cronus had been modeled after Carter. Carter had been born to those two people. Cronus was short, like the woman was…he was blonde, like the man. Cronus nodded unintentionally, finally realizing why he had that body. He had her eyes, his nose. Her—

Cronus folded the paper quickly, stopping himself there. A few days before, Cronus had been fighting Takato—demanding to know why he looked the way he did. Reed had given him the answer, and that's all that he wanted. He didn't need to know any more than that.

Reed stopped cleaning out the wound and looked at Cronus curiously. "That's it?"

_Yes._

"They're not _my_ parents." Cronus murmured. Reed had told him beforehand, and Cronus had thought he'd understood it. Thought that he wouldn't have been as emotional as he was. It's not like they'd want to meet him—he was a murderer. He killed Adrie.

"No, they're not." Reed replied quietly. "Anyways, that's where you got that face."

_Thank you…_

Reed threw the cotton ball aside, and Cronus looked down to his palm. It was less bloody, for sure, but the wound was still open. The moment he would outstretch his fingers, the blood would be pouring again. Oh well…he'd just have to be careful.

"All done?" he asked.

"Nope." Reed replied, picking up a needle and a spool of some sort. "Ever had stitches before?"

"No." Cronus answered. He'd seem them on some hospital TV show, and they looked gross. He saw one episode where they did it with just some bandages that pulled the cut together, but something told Cronus that that wasn't what Reed meant.

"It'll be fun." Reed said with a false enthusiasm. Cronus knew that it was so that it wouldn't get infected, but he really wished there was another way…like the way he'd seen Reed use before.

"Can't you just use one of those needles you used before?" The _first_ time Cronus had had his hand split open, it was protecting Rika from a knife that Reed had thrown. But Reed had injected Cronus with something that made it heal right back up, and it didn't even leave a mark.

"All out." Reed replied quickly, preparing. "Hold still."

He did his best, but it really hurt. On the TV they always gave the person something to make the patient numb before. He really wished that Reed had had something, but Cronus wasn't quite ready to complain. It was nothing compared to what it felt like when Gigadramon had stuck him with its tail.

Cronus suddenly remembered what Kazu told him on the walk back.

"Right before Gigadramon attacked Ryo and the others, he said that they were 'right on time'." Cronus recalled. "He knew they were going to be there?"

A nod from Reed, who didn't look up from his work. "Yes. He knew."

"How?" Cronus asked.

Reed seemed to hesitate. "The Destroyer set up the whole thing."

Cronus wasn't quite sure why Reed was being so honest—especially considering it had been Reed who had tortured him just a few days earlier. He suddenly recalled what his friends had told him about how the Destroyer got its army, and why it was so big.

"Um—what he said about the Destroyer's army—that that's what happens when people die here…was that true?"

Reed pierced the edge of the skin with the needle, pulling the thread through fully before he answered. "Yes."

Cronus tried to keep his composure, but he was shaking, and it made it impossible for Reed to continue stitching him up. "Is that gonna happen to Adrie?"

"No."

Cronus closed his eyes and let his head sag a bit. Adrie…she _had_ escaped the Destroyer, then. She wasn't going to be used as a weapon. He didn't open his eyes until he felt Reed cut the thread.

"Don't let anyone see this." Reed ordered, putting the medical kit back together. Cronus didn't answer, and Reed approached the window, looking out of it. Cronus had liked looking out of it before Adrie died. He liked watching everyone go about their business. But after she died—after he killed her, it reminded him that life was going on. Without her. It was why Cronus sat on the couch—because it faced away from the window.

"I should probably go." Reed said eventually.

Cronus turned to him, and pointed at the desk. "Your knives are over there."

"I've got tons of those." Reed replied. "You keep them—just don't let your friends see them."

_They're not my friends, they're Takato's friends._

"Okay…" Cronus agreed.

He felt Reed's gaze burning him. "I mean it. If you're seen with them, your friends will think you're working with the Destroyer, and the Destroyer'll think I'm working with you."

"Aren't you?"

A pause before Reed gave his answer. "No."

_Could have fooled me._

"So why help us?" Cronus demanded.

Reed squinted. "What you're all doing—it's _important_. But it's not _my_ work. I just don't want to see any more of you get killed for what the Destroyer's doing."

_Does he—care about what happened to Adrie…?_

The Destroyer had ruined more lives than just hers—than just his. Countless had died defending Hyperion from its army, and Cronus knew better than anyone that digital life was still life. Just as their death was still death.

"The Destroyer…" Cronus said aloud. "I swear I'll kill it."

Reed closed his eyes. He looked frustrated. Cronus figured he probably just didn't care about what Cronus had to say…he'd gotten Cronus to kill Gigadramon, which is what he wanted…but Cronus hadn't been prepared for what Reed said next.

"It's Henry."

Cronus's mouth opened, but he wasn't able to get out any word other than, "What?"

Reed approached the window again, and Cronus didn't even care that he was staring towards it himself. Not after that accusation.

"A few weeks ago, he and Rika fell ill after they went to this underground shrine-thing. Right after you all met back up with Guardromon. That shrine housed the essence of the Destroyer. By the time you used the red data spike, you were able to save Rika from its hold, but Henry was already too far gone. He never _actually_ got better at all. And it's been the Destroyer—not him—since then."

There was too much missing for Cronus to add everything up. If Henry was the Destroyer, then he'd been lying to them for a long time. He'd been _hiding_ for a long time. But things hadn't started to go bad for them until—

"He led those agents to capture Takato and me…" Cronus recalled.

A nod in response, though Reed was still looking out the window. "Yes."

_No, this isn't right._

"What about what happened to Sarian?" Cronus challenged. "The agents that attacked that place did it _before_ Henry got sick."

"The Destroyer doesn't need a body to have influence." Reed replied quietly.

_Ryo…and Kazu, and Rika…Henry led them into a trap…?_

Cronus had dropped his gaze to the ground, and he hadn't realized he'd actually whispered it out loud until Reed responded.

"It's not Henry, not anymore." Reed said. "That's why no 'second consciousness' has been found in him—and that's why Terriermon hasn't been drawn to you all yet."

_It was—him? He had a part in what happened to—_

Cronus's vision went blurry as the tears started to well up. Reed wasn't looking at him, and Cronus hesitated for only a moment before he put his hand on Reed's shoulder.

"Adrie." Was all he could get out.

Reed inhaled sharply. "Yes…he activated the corrupt data she'd absorbed that tried to take her over—he didn't leave you any choice."

The tears started to fall.

Reed gently touched his arm. "This is why you can't give up." He spoke softly. "He needs to be stopped."

Cronus shook his head. "No. He needs to die."

Cronus had killed before. He'd murdered someone who deserved to be alive—he would have no problem killing someone who deserved to die.

"You can't do that." Reed said quickly.

Cronus glanced to the desk, the collection of knives on it. "Why not?"

"No, I mean you actually _can't_ do that." Reed repeated himself. "He'll kill you, and your friends."

Cronus stared at Reed.

"You once told me that my powers are 'virtually limitless'." Cronus quoted. "Why else would I have this power if not to use it to stop the Destroyer?"

Reed shook his head, grabbing Cronus by the arm tightly, stopping him from moving. "Things have changed." Reed said simply.

Something clicked inside of Cronus. When Reed was torturing him, he had said that it would all end if he would just 'awaken'…then Reed said that he was going to try to bring out some of Cronus's power. Cronus had forgotten all about it because of his fight with Takato.

"You tried to get me to 'awaken'." Cronus recalled. "What does that mean?"

Reed's face went pale, but he didn't waver. "You can't handle the Destroyer alone." He said sternly.

"Then fight with me." Cronus said flatly. "Stop all this hiding-in-the-shadows mystery-crap and _do_ something!"

_Do something_.

Earlier that day, it had been Reed to tell Cronus to stand up and do something—to help his friends fight Gigadramon.

"No." Reed said, his teeth grit.

Cronus swung his arm to the side hard, forcing Reed to let him go. "Then I'll do it myself."

"I can't let you make a move on the Destroyer, not yet." Reed growled.

"Then _when_!" Cronus shouted louder than he knew he should have. "When he kills more people?"

"When I know what he _wants_!" Reed yelled back. "If you make your move on him, then you'll be _forcing_ him to make his move. If he triggers his apocalypse without me being a step ahead of him, then I won't be able to do anything to _stop_ it."

Cronus raised an eyebrow. "He wants to kill the four Sovereign."

Reed shook his head quickly. "The four Sovereign are already dead."

_What? There's still Ebonwumon._

But Cronus didn't question it any further than his initial thought—if Reed said they were dead, Cronus believed him. Reed had the power, and Cronus realized that he must have done it himself.

"The Destroyer's more powerful than me, and _I'm_ more powerful than you." Reed said clearly.

Cronus wasn't convinced. "I killed Gigadramon, didn't I?"

Reed rolled his eyes, clearly frustrated. "Yeah, the Destroyer's friggin' _lackey_. You think the fight against the Destroyer will be anywhere _near _that _easy_?"

'_Easy', he says._ _Rika almost died_.

"I'm telling you, Cronus." Reed said, much quieter than before. "One monster to another. _He's—too—strong_."

Cronus's stomach twisted as he wavered. He realized that he should probably listen to Reed—if what Reed was saying was true—and Cronus believed it was—then Henry needed more than just the Sovereign dead to trigger the apocalypse. Cronus would find out what else he needed—and then take it away from them.

"What does Henry want?" Cronus finally asked.

Reed sighed. "I'm working on it."

"Great." Cronus said sarcastically.

"I'm getting pretty sick of the attitude." Reed snapped.

Cronus's blood was boiling. What was Reed expecting, after dumping all this information on him? Cronus was _aching_ for a fight—he took a step forward.

In an instant, Reed's hands were glowing—his right hand with red fire, his left with blue lightning. Zhuqiaomon and Azulongmon's abilities. The power of the Sovereign. "Try me." Reed snarled. "You're an asset to the cause, but get in my way and I swear you'll regret it."

Cronus's breath forced its way through his teeth before Reed stopped charging the attacks, his expression changing as drastically as it had during his several-hour-torture-session. Sympathy.

"If you move on him now, he wins." Reed said finally. "But if we wait for him to make his move, then we take away what he's after. _We_ win."

Cronus knew Reed was right…he just didn't want to be. Cronus didn't like liars. And how he'd have to lie to the others—about everything being alright. Not that they'd be of any help, of course. They weren't monsters. Not like him. Not like Reed. Not like Henry.

Reed gave a quiet laugh. "It's weird—I was expecting it to be Ryo that I had this conversation with. Maybe Takato—but I didn't expect it to be you."

_I really, really care_.

However little Cronus liked him, Reed knew more than them.

_The Guardian._

It had proved victorious over the Destroyer once before. It would have to do it again. Cronus wasn't ready to give the idea to Reed, however, who had murdered the four Sovereign with his own hands.

"Thanks for the stitches." Cronus finally said, slightly raising his injured hand. "And the knives. Now get out of here."

Reed didn't answer immediately, but turned around. He took two steps before he paused and looked over his shoulder. "Remember—confront him, and we're all dead."

With that, he disappeared, leaving Cronus alone.

_The Circle…they're the only ones who know anything about the Guardian._

They hadn't told anything about the Guardian to Rika, Ryo, or Will, when the three of them had asked before the battle. But Cronus wasn't exactly human. If that wasn't evidence enough for them to accept the desperation of the situation, then he had other methods of persuasion.

* * *

Ryo knocked on the door.

"It's open." Rika called

He opened the door and stepped in. Rika was standing in front of the tall mirror, tying her hair back. She was wearing an oversized hoodie and a pair of shorts.

She flashed him a smile. "Hey, you."

"Hey." He said softly. "How you feeling?"

Apparently the equipment Will and Giz used to help her heal worked really well. It had only been a couple of hours—Ryo had agreed to help Takato with his report for Yamaki to get his mind off of worrying about her. Of course, he'd passed out almost immediately—Takato woke him up after Will came in to tell them Rika was up and moving again.

"Better and better." She replied.

Ryo stepped closer to her, gently placing two fingers on either side of her chin. He carefully turned her head to one side, Rika scoffing gently before looking embarrassed as he stared at the small scar on the side of her neck, where it met her collarbone. Her injuries themselves had been on her back, but Will had told him beforehand that those wouldn't leave anything—but the treatment to make sure she lived would leave a mark there.

"It's nothing." Rika told him.

He moved his hand to her cheek for a brief second before she leaned in and kissed him. It took him by surprise, but he regained himself quickly, and pulled her closer. But he let her go once he felt her wince.

Ryo's jaw dropped when he realized he'd put his hand his hand on her back.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"No, I'm fine." Rika insisted, shifting her weight around, putting his hands on her waist instead of her back. She kissed him again. "See? I'm like, ninety-two percent, here."

"'Ninety-two'?" he teased.

She shrugged. "That's still an 'A', right?"

"I guess that's true." He grinned back instinctively. "So you feeling well enough to go out?"

"Out?" Rika tilted her head. "Sure. But out where?"

Ryo shrugged. "I dunno. But come on, it might be fun." He gave her a nudge.

Rika looked confused, but she also didn't stop smiling. "Yeah, alright." She said finally. "Just let me find something to wear. I'll meet you at your room in fifteen?"

He nodded. "Yeah, okay."

He headed back towards his room himself, contemplating whether or not he should get changed, too.

_Well, it isn't exactly _freezing_ outside, but it's kinda cold, so maybe I'll find a sweater or something._

Ryo saw Takato in the hallway, walking towards him. He was wearing a dark blue-green denim jacket.

"Hey, where you off to?" Takato asked casually once he got closer.

"Oh, you know." Ryo trailed off, not answering. "Hey, can I borrow that jacket?"

Takato's left eyebrow raised, but he didn't question it. "Alright." His friend slipped it off, and handed it to him. "Not telling me what you're up to, then?" Takato challenged.

Ryo traded his black zip-up hoodie, and put the jacket on. "Nope."

Takato just shook his head, smiling slightly before he started walking again. "Well, if this is all part of some plan that inevitably leads to a mutiny, wait 'til I get this report handed in so I don't have to add anymore, alright?"

"_Fine_." Ryo called back, dejectedly.

* * *

Rika found a shirt that looked good—it was kind of uncomfortable, but it looked good, and though she'd never admit it, she felt it was important. She knew that Ryo felt bad that she'd gotten hurt in the fight, and that no matter how many times she'd tell him it wasn't his fault, she knew he wouldn't believe her. So, she'd decided to just keep him distracted. The shirt was a little low-cut, and the skirt was a little tight, but—whatever.

A knock at the door, and she bit her tongue as she thought about not answering it.

_No, that wouldn't be fair._

"Come in." she called. She was sitting on her bed and putting her boots on when Will and Jeri stepped in.

"Hey, I was wondering if—" Will started before she made eye contact with him. "Woah." He finished.

Both her friends were giving her very different looks, so Rika finally had to ask. "Too slutty?"

"N—no—" Will stammered.

"A little." Jeri said with false pain.

Rika grinned and gave her a look, before indicating the door. "Out, I need to change."

Fortunately, it wouldn't take her long—she already had a second outfit picked out anyways. It was a tip from Jeri herself, of course. Will looked confused while Jeri pulled him out the door, closing it over, but keeping it open a sliver so that they could talk through it. Rika stood behind it and off to the side while she changed again.

"Hot date tonight?" Jeri asked.

"Maybe." Rika admitted with a smile that they wouldn't be able to see. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you've had any side effects from the treatment." Will called to her.

Rika thought about it. "Uh, I threw up once like an hour ago." She confessed. "Aside from that, nothing at all."

"Okay, good." He replied. "No headaches, then?"

"Nope, why?"

"Oh, it's just that most of the people we treated that with after that big battle said that their heads were hurting—Ryo included." Will explained. "You're probably just tougher than all of them."

"Damn right I am." She said proudly, still changing. Her second outfit was a high-necked red sleeveless shirt, and some black pants. She opened the door again. "Okay, how's this?"

Will first looked at Jeri, obviously not willing to differ in opinion again. Jeri gave her thumbs of approval, which Rika knew meant a lot. But Rika paused as she stared at her friend.

"Hey, gimme that jacket, will ya?" Rika asked hopefully. Jeri wore a short black jacket that went to about the bottom of where her ribs were. Her friend took it off, but didn't give it to her right away.

"I'll trade you for details after." Jeri said very professionally.

"Fine, deal." Rika agreed, defeated. She turned to Will. "Anything else I should look out for? Past headaches and pukey-ness, I mean?"

Will looked thoughtful. "No, I think that's it. Your sleep pattern's probably gonna be messed up for a couple of days, but last I heard Takato's still not done that report, so at least we'll be in the city for the next little while."

"Actually," Jeri spoke up suddenly. "Takato wanted me to ask if Renamon's made a decision yet about whether or not she'll be staying here?"

"Still no verdict on that one." Rika said grimly.

Renamon had, in fact, accepted the offer. Rika didn't like the idea of not traveling with her partner, of course, but it was a huge opportunity for Renamon—and for the city, even. She could really make a difference there. But Renamon had withdrawn her acceptance after Rika's injury. Rika still had to talk to her about it—she really _was_ okay.

"Okay." Jeri frowned.

Rika put the jacket on. Jeri was a little smaller than she was, so the sleeves came up a bit short, but it still felt comfortable.

"Hair." Rika suddenly realized. "Up, or down?" As it was, it was tied up.

"Up." Jeri suggested.

"Down." Will answered at the same time. He looked embarrassed, and Jeri and Rika both were grinning at him.

Rika pulled the elastic out and went to meet Ryo.

* * *

"Delta?" Reed said, opening the phone. "_Please_ tell me you've got some good news."

Reed was going insane. The damned Tamers were scattered all around the city, and he was hurting his head trying to keep track of them all. So far as he could tell, Rika and Ryo were on a date, Takato was running around getting information for that report of his, and Kazu was playing some sort of tracking-training exercise with Guardromon. He wasn't sure what Will or Jeri were doing—and of course, Cronus was stalking Henry.

"Nothing but bad." Was the reply. "Just got in from snooping around the Hypnos building, right? Get this—someone accessed this while I was gone."

Reed's blood ran cold. "_What?_"

"After you told Cronus about Henry, I was going over every single thing he's done since he's been under the Destroyer's control, right? To try and figure out what Henry wants before Cronus goes and ruins everything."

"Right?" Reed tapped his foot.

"Well, I went into Hypnos—couldn't get to any of the _important _floors, of course, but I got a list of people—names and addresses—who _do_ have access to those floors. But when I got back here, my program wasn't running anymore."

"Could it have crashed?" Reed suggested.

"No, there's been no power failures, and the code's sound." He defended. "Something interfered remotely."

"So is Hypnos on to us?" Reed demanded.

His friend gave a sigh. "I can't be one-hundred-percent sure, but I'm gonna go with 'no'." he concluded.

Reed exhaled a little. "Okay. Good job."

"Thanks." His friend murmured. "I still feel pretty shitty, though-there's a million other people that're better qualified to be helping you with this."

"You're the only one I can trust." Reed said. "The others—the Tamers—not even my family understands what's at stake here."

His friend didn't answer right away, but when he did, the topic had changed.

_Fair enough_.

"About Hypnos, I can only get past the security on the junior officer's terminals."

_Junior officers…that would be—Tally, was it?_

There weren't a lot of junior-level employees at Hypnos, and despite the name, they were pretty high-ranking in the corporation. But still, there were only two senior-level officers; Mitsuo Yamaki, and Riley Ootori.

"And they don't know about us?" Reed asked.

"Not the juniors, no." he replied. "I'm doing what I can about the head honchos, but it's gonna take me a while. I can probably get in by tomorrow if I ask for help, but then we risk tipping people off what we're up to. But Ta— Reed, if we bring in someone else— "

"Can't do that." Reed answered immediately. "Just do your best. If Henry hasn't made his move yet, then we shouldn't assume it's going to happen right now."

"You think Hypnos knows about Henry?" Delta suddenly asked.

"I doubt it." Reed murmured. "Takato's their golden boy, and every transmission we've picked up didn't even mention anything about the Destroyer. I picked through it, too…no secret meanings, no codes."

_But—_could_ Hypnos know about Henry?_

"Wait a second…" Reed realized. "Henry _worked_ at Hypnos for a while, right? Back before he saved Takato, Cronus and that Mala girl? Is he on the list?"

"Let me see—yeah, he is—Henry Wong."

"They kiss Henry's ass even more than they kiss Takato's." Reed explained, almost excited. "He's bound to have some sort of keycard at his house."

There was a pause, and Reed could just picture the look on his face.

"At—his—house…?"

Reed nodded, even though he'd forgotten his friend could actually _see _him. It wasn't like Reed knew where the hidden cameras were. "Get into his house, and get the card. We can break apart the codes on it and use them to access Hypnos's terminals remotely."

"But—" a stammer, before a pause. "Alright. I'll talk to you in a few hours if I'm not arrested for breaking and entering."

"Sounds good." Reed replied. "His family lives in an apartment building— easy job. Pull the fire alarm."

"Alright." Delta agreed. "Over and out."

Reed snapped the phone shut.

* * *

Rika and Ryo had been looking around the city some more. The city itself was huge, of course, and they hadn't gotten to see everything—they barely left the Atlas tower, since it had everything they needed and so much more.

Still, it was nice to get some fresh air, and they'd eventually come across a sign for a park. She'd suggested that they go see what sort of parks they had in the digital world. She'd been secretly hoping for a playground, but a grassy area with a pond was pretty, too. The air was cool, but not cold. Cool enough for Rika to be glad that she'd stolen Jeri's jacket.

Ryo looked great, though it was hard for Rika to think of moments when he didn't.

They'd talked for a bit, and joked around, and even ran around. The result was of course, her tackling him to the ground, insisting she was going to beat him up. The making out was to be expected too, but as fun as ever. The grass in the digital world didn't even collect dew or moisture, so it wasn't even uncomfortable. Eventually, they lay next to each other, looking in the other's faces, only inches apart.

"You know, it's weird." Rika started, snuggling closer to him. "Every day, it's like I'm forgetting what it was like not knowing you."

She saw Ryo's expression change, and he looked slightly nervous. "That a good-weird, or bad-weird?"

"Good-weird." She assured him. "We've really lived a pair of screwed up lives though, haven't we?"

"Monumentally." Ryo agreed, somewhat glumly.

She paused.

_Now's as good a time as any._

"So, you know I'm not mad about Gigadramon kicking my ass, right?" she asked.

Ryo didn't say anything. She knew she'd taken him by surprise, but she thought that that might be better, because it meant she could do all the talking.

"I just wanted to put that out there." She added. "And this…our—relationship. I don't think it's putting either of us at risk. Because even though we drop our guard for each other, we're fighting better than we ever could otherwise."

She was right, she knew. And she knew that Ryo would agree with her, because it was so true. Back in the fight against the Destroyer's army, they'd both been _constantly_ looking out for each other—warning each other of incoming attacks, helping each other out of situations—and in the fight against Gigadramon, too. They'd used the same tactic they used against the D-Reaper, and while it didn't win the fight, it helped, and it did more damage than either could have done alone.

"I know." Ryo finally agreed. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

She smiled back at him, gently touching his shoulder, the denim cold under her fingers. "You either." She murmured.

"And I'm sure Jeri'd be upset if she couldn't tease us anymore." Ryo smirked at her.

She didn't hold back the laugh. "Yeah, can't have that. Funny side-note. Apparently my first outfit for tonight was too slutty."

His eyebrows raised. "_Really_?" he asked, trying to hide the disbelief.

She gave him a little shove. "Yeah, but Will said it looked good."

"Will got to see?"

* * *

They'd stayed out for an hour or so more before the headed back to Atlas. Ryo was actually really glad that Rika had shared her opinion on their relationship's effect on their ability to fight. It was something Ryo had been scared to mention, but he really liked the perspective Rika put on it. She was right, of course. They _all_ fought better when they worked together. Cronus seemed to have realized that before any of them did…when he'd arrived at the fight, he'd accepted his limitations, and asked for Ryo's help to get him up on top of the enemy. They had to work as a team.

A lot of Ryo's fights in the digital world _had_ been alone, so it was something he was, in a way, used to. Then again, he also apparently spent a period of time with Reed, which still troubled him some. He knew it wasn't worth being hung up on, though.

He kissed Rika goodnight after he walked her back to her room. When the door closed, he acted as normal as possible, because he saw someone coming down the hall. It was Henry.

_His room's right across the hall from hers, remember?_

"Night, Henry." Ryo nodded.

Henry gave a half-salute. "Night. See you tomorrow."

Probably the most conversation Ryo had gotten from him in days, but it was progress. Ryo continued down the long hall, hearing Henry's door close behind him. Several steps later, a figure stepped around the corner and stood in front of him.

"Hey, Cronus." Ryo smiled.

The blonde boy just stared at him, and Ryo felt uneasy.

Ryo's smile faded. "What's wrong?"

* * *

Reed's eyes were closed, yet they still burned—sleep deprivation would do that. He supposed it was relaxing, in an odd way. He leaned back in his chair a little farther—his legs were on the desk—his shorts went to just past his knees, and the corner of the desk was cutting off the circulation. He was tired though, so he didn't move just then.

He had made a mistake in telling Cronus about the Destroyer—about Henry. For whatever reason, Reed was finding it more and more difficult to lie to Cronus. He hadn't _actually_ lied to Cronus, however…in either case, perhaps the Destroyer was right about reassigning Reed a few weeks back—he _was_ too involved in what was happening.

But he was also the First Herald of the Destroyer. BlueMeramon was the second—or third—didn't matter, anyways, BlueMeramon was dead by Reed's hand, and Gigadramon by Cronus's. Reed knew that the Destroyer had wanted Cronus as the Second Herald—he'd clearly have been an asset. Reed wondered what the Tamers would want to do with him if they somehow _beat_ the Destroyer. Reed was still a bad guy, after all.

_To hell with this world._

Simple life in the real world was something he hadn't expected to have missed. Nearly every time he'd come to the digital world, he'd been sick of the real world, as if part of him was expecting things to be any better. The real world was the better one, though. And once he got Carter, he'd go back there, and stay there. Life could be simple again—life could be tolerable again.

He felt a poke on the side of his butt, and his eyes jolted open, tired and frustrated. He reached for the vibrating cell phone.

_Stupid thing._

"Yes?"

Static, and a lot of it. He sat up, trying to hear through it.

"Ree—" It broke off.

_What the hell's…?_

Reed spoke loudly and clearly, hoping that his own message would go through better than his friends. "Delta, this is Reed—repeat."

For most of their conversations, Reed just avoided mentioning his friend's name altogether since he hated their codenames—Reed didn't know what was causing the static, and for all he knew, it was someone listening in.

No response.

"Delta, repeat your transmission!"

Reed squeezed his eyes shut, as if the two seconds of depriving his sight would make a difference.

"Reek—"

_Reek?_

It suddenly hit Reed in the face like a brick. The Destroyer—why it hadn't made its move…what it was missing…after the battle against Hyperion, Henry had let himself be transported back from the Circle, saying he was closer to what he needed. Reed had assumed he meant Cronus—but he realized he'd been wrong.

_Rika_.

It was trying to take her back, after Cronus and Ryo had rid her body of the Destroyer's influence. Reed had killed BlueMeramon, thinking it was only after Ryo, but it had gone after Rika first. _She'd _been BlueMeramon's original target. And Gigadramon—it was probably just trying to kill Ryo and Kazu, then take Rika. _She_ was what Henry wanted to start the apocalypse. His 'other half', so to speak.

_Gotta warn Cronus—warn Ryo… _

"Delta, do you copy!" Reed demanded desperately, standing up.

"Look out!" his friend's voice suddenly came through, clear as day.

An image flashed on the screen. Henry. Smirking. Henry'd never been able to access those terminals. It was how Reed managed to get away with the override that stopped the army's attack on the city. How he got away with warning Ryo countless times. How he got away with communicating with his ally in the real world. Henry had never been able to access them. There was just one explanation.

_He knows. Everything. What I'm doing._

Henry had accessed Delta's system, not Hypnos. Reed started to move, but it was too late—and when his computers suddenly exploded, he was thrown to the wall, and collapsed to the ground helplessly.

* * *

Henry clenched the doorknob, turning it slowly. It was dark, so he didn't have to worry about being seen—but it was also quiet, so as he stepped into the pitch-black room, he moved as quietly as a shadow.

He could see her bed, where she slept. The small amount of light from the glow of the night forced its way through the side of the curtains, each window leaving a white sliver of light on the carpet.

He needed her—she was a part of him. Henry had figured out that it was Reed that removed his influence over Rika. And he would pay for it, too. But even Henry didn't know why it didn't save him, as well. He'd tried to replace her, of course…that whole Adrie mess.

But however beautiful or powerful she was, Adriana Burke was no substitute for Rika Nonaka. The Ice Queen herself. Only not.

She'd changed over the years, Henry knew—and because Henry knew it, the Destroyer knew it as well. The boy, Ryo Akiyama. Henry had ordered BlueMeramon to take him—he'd tried to have him killed during the battle against Hyperion—he'd made a dozen more attempts that didn't pan out to destroy him. Because if _Ryo_ was destroyed, then Rika would change. She'd be easier to take hold of. But Henry's mind was made up—he didn't need her _alive._

As long as she was as she was, Henry's—the Destroyer's power would be incomplete. Reed's betrayal had not removed the Destroyer's power from Rika at all—it had just removed the Destroyer's _influence_ from her. As long as that power remained dormant in her, the Destroyer wasn't complete. He just needed to take the data back—if he couldn't take it from her alive, then she'd have to die—that simple.

Even he could barely see while he crept through the room. There was wind outside, but he wasn't distracted. He clenched the handle of the knife.

_Light cuts, right above the heart._

She must have been curled up under the blankets—it was how she always slept when they traveled. How she even slept since the Tamers reunited in Hyperion, each night that Henry had entered her room at night to watch her.

He dropped his weight slightly lower, a precaution to make even less sound. But his next footstep was followed by a loud crack, and the room was suddenly flooded with light. He jolted upright.

Cronus was leaning against the wall next to the bed, arms crossed. His jacket was red and black—'red _was_ his color, wasn't it'? His pants were red as well, with some sort of black pattern—no, not a pattern…it was almost like a series of belts—leather straps, with more than a few knives in his reach: all the way down one leg, and halfway down the other. In the bed, Renamon sat up, silent and stoic as ever. Henry was still brandishing the knife—they'd caught him. He turned quickly, but froze in tracks when a stern voice came from the corner.

"That's far enough." Takato said, a gun pointed at him. The gun that had killed Adrie.

Henry wasn't worried, but he was impressed. He didn't even know that they were there.

Rika, Ryo, and Kazu were in the other corner, Cyberdramon flying overhead, and Guardromon loudly stepping in from the hallway. The three humans appeared to be brandishing those pesky dart guns they'd been given from Hypnos back before they'd come back to the digital world. Henry had thought there'd only been one or two left—they must have had the boy create more.

Only Jeri and Will were missing from the scene. Made sense—they were the only two _real_ non-fighters.

Henry found himself with a smirk on his face. Impressive on their part—that was all there was to it.

"Something you want to tell us, Henry?" Takato asked.

* * *

Okay, so there we go. Trouble's a' comin'. But about this story, there's 3 chapters left for the first part of it. The next one's called **Out of the Shadows**, and it's gonna be about everyone coping with Henry making his move. After that, we've got **Truth**, and **The Forgotten Past**, (which are gonna be one update, like Chapters 14-16 were). It's where you find out just about everything.

For reference, Reed's mentioning Cronus and Ryo getting the 'Destroyer' out of Rika was in Chapter 4. Killing BlueMeramon was Chapter 11, and Gigadramon was Chapter 18. And just to clarify, the Destroyer's in complete control of Henry—so Henry himself isn't bad, just who's driving him around is. I was actually reluctant to write the last scene from his POV, but I figure this little explanation works just as well. The Destroyer needing Rika is the last real twist with its intentions, so for the most part, he's either gonna be tormenting the Tamers, or destroying the world. Bottom line, is the Destroyer gets a lot simpler from here on out.

So, 22 Chapters. Following that, I've put around the idea of posting Reed's adventure, separate of this story, which has five chapters: (**Happy Days**, **Protector**, **Stress**, **Vacation**, and** Carter**). Like I've said before, it might just get merged into this story not-so-subtly.

I've been watching the series again (yeah, I'm a nerd), and I was also thinking about a retelling of that story, but I figure if I did then I'd never finish it, or this, and I really want to share this story.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed, and review!

-N


	20. Out Of The Shadows

Getting right down to it, huh? Sorry the update took so long…I'm in the middle of a move right now, so Internet access and laptop-time is scarce.

As for my Hotmailing, I have MSN but I'm never ever on it, 'cause I'm just that cool (is cool the right word? Yeah, it probably is). But I check my e-mail so often it's pathetic (that one's the wrong word. I think cool goes in there, too).

It's sinking in to me how long these chapters are. Not that I find them tedious to write, but when I compared the average word counts, and the average word count for this story per chapter is more than that of Atlas and Flux's average per chapter put together. Yikes. If I were to rewrite those, they'd probably be a lot longer.

Anyways, this chapter'll give some answers, and it'll drop some hints on stuff that'll be let out in the next chapters. Enjoy!

-N

* * *

**Out of the Shadows:**

Takato felt the sweat in his palms as he gripped the gun tighter, his index finger gently but nervously laying across the trigger. "Something you want to tell us, Henry?"

Takato took his eyes off of Henry only for an instant—an instant in which he'd made eye contact with Rika, who nodded at him slowly as she quietly moved to start surrounding him.

"All this time…" Ryo said quietly, a low whisper. "It was you."

Takato watched his friend take a step forward. Takato himself moved to the right, placing Henry directly between the two. He tightened the grip on the gun.

"Took you long enough to figure it out." Henry sighed. "But I'm actually surprised you even did."

Of the five humans in the room, Takato and Cronus were the two actually armed to injure. Kazu was the next one to move, still brandishing a dart gun. "Maybe you're just not as good as you think." Takato growled.

Henry turned away from Takato, though the boy Takato thought he knew hadn't been paying much attention to him anyways.

"I'm sure a team of monkeys would have noticed sooner." Henry noted. "So what finally tipped you all off?"

Takato inhaled quietly. "Yamaki called me for my report, and he was wondering why Henry wasn't with us—we told him he was. He sent us some info showing that that you aren't the same as when we came to the digital world."

He hadn't quite known what to think about it when he first got the transmission—he'd talked it over with Cronus and Ryo, and Cronus had insisted that they consider the possibility that Henry was the Destroyer. Takato had refused to—at first. He'd argued that Henry hadn't done anything to hurt them. Cronus said that they probably just didn't know about it. Through whatever means Takato still didn't know, Cronus had determined that Rika was what he was after—and he was right.

Henry turned around, a disappointed look on his face. "Had to wait for the grown-ups to ruin the fun then, huh?"

"Why are you doing this, Henry?" Rika finally spoke up.

"_That_—isn't Henry." Takato reminded her, not taking his eyes off of his target.

"Aww…" Henry cooed. "What makes you think you have _any_ idea who I am?"

Takato wasn't in the mood. "Get on the ground."

Henry's head tilted to the side.

Takato took a step forward. "Get on the _ground_!" he shouted.

He saw Henry's arm begin to move—the arm that held the knife. But Takato acted first, and he squeezed the trigger—but not after aiming it right at his former friend's knee.

Henry looked down—the bullet had stopped mid-air before falling to the ground. He looked back to Takato, laughing. "I at _least_ thought that you had the guts to _try_ for a kill-shot. Looks like I overestimated you—_again_."

Takato fired twice more, to the same effect. Henry just scoffed, before turning to Rika, and taking a step.

_Remember—_she's_ what he wants._

Rika—along with Kazu and Ryo all fired their darts, but the result was obviously going to be the same as the bullets.

Takato hadn't even seen it happen, but Cronus moved quickly, swiftly from behind—and pulled a knife across Henry's throat. Even from the side-view Takato had, he could see the blood dripping over it, and he felt an invisible hand squeeze his stomach.

_No…_

Takato didn't want Henry dead. He wanted whatever was _controlling_ Henry to be dead. Henry didn't deserve to die—but it was _Henry's_ throat that bled then—not a monster's.

Suddenly Henry's very _real_ hand grabbed Cronus by the wrist, and twisted his left arm instantly, a deafening _crack_ and a shout of pain from Cronus as at least one bone broke. The blonde boy fell to his knees, teeth grit, but he was only there for half a second before Henry punched him in the face, and he fell down unconscious.

_Cronus!_

Cronus had been the strongest among them—until now. Kazu fired another dart, but the tranquilizer not only stopped mid-air, but turned and forced itself into Kazu's neck. Takato barely saw the expression of shock on his face before he collapsed.

Renamon leapt into the air and fired a Diamond Storm attack, but Henry simply glanced at the fox, and the shards moved backwards, sending Rika's partner to the window, which shattered as she fell through it down to the city below.

Takato grit his teeth—Renamon was a big girl, she'd be alright. Cyberdramon was the next to make a move, but Henry grabbed it by the claw promptly, throwing Ryo's partner hard to the wall—but he fortunately didn't break apart into data—Cyberdramon too, was alive but unconscious.

Henry took another step towards Rika, and Ryo too fired his dart. Henry struck it with his knife while it still moved—and then threw the knife at Ryo immediately after. The brown-haired boy grunted as the blade piercing his chest, the dart gun falling out his hand.

"Ryo!" Rika and Takato both shouted.

Takato dropped the gun, not wanting to risk with a bullet what had happened with Kazu's dart, while the attack fired by Guardromon had the same effect as Renamon's—it turned around and struck himself, and the digimon collapsed to the ground. Takato held his breath and rushed to Cronus's body, pulling a knife off of his leg—and stabbed Henry in the lower back.

"Nice try." Henry said sincerely.

The darker haired boy didn't even look at Takato while he elbowed him in the face, sending him across the room and against the wall—both the front and back of Takato's head suffering from the shocking pain.

"I would have just done this weeks ago, but it's so fun watching you all squirm." Henry said with a laugh.

Takato tried to reach for the gun, but he wasn't anywhere near close enough. He tried to crawl, but all of his strength was being used trying to stay conscious. He could see Rika backing up frantically, before shooting a glance at the door. Henry just shook his head, waving his finger in a 'tsk tsk' motion.

The door suddenly shattered to pieces, and Takato had thought that Henry had been responsible for it, but realized he wasn't as Henry was as shocked as Rika and Takato. A bloody Reed stumbled into the room, one hand glowing red, the other blue. The power of Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon. The Sovereign.

"Well, _you're_ gutsier than I thought." Henry laughed. "Nice look on you, by the way. It really reflects the pathetic piece of shit you really are."

Reed shouted loudly as he swung both hands into a vicious clap—a mix of fire and lighting spiraling together and hitting Henry in the chest. To Takato's surprise—and maybe even to Reed and Henry's—Henry was sent backwards, hitting the wall even harder than Takato had.

The dark haired boy coughed on the ground, gasping for air. Takato stared in shock as Reed spun around, staring hard at Rika—the only person in the room who remained unhurt.

"You…" Reed growled. "Get out of here."

The redhead looked shocked. "But Ryo's—" she protested.

"_Now!_" Reed hissed.

Takato had almost forgotten about Ryo. He was on the ground, the knife still protruding from his chest. There was no way Rika would be able to carry him out by herself—even with Takato's help, it would disturb the wound.

"Rika, go." Takato grunted, finally finding the strength to climb to his feet.

He could see the look of absolute panic on Rika's face, but the redhead gave Takato one final glance before she darted out of the room.

_Protect Rika. At all costs._

Henry found his way to his feet, laughing as the coughing subsided. "You really think you can stop me? Let's look at the score here."

Takato had pulled Cronus's body aside, dragging him back and away from Henry—Takato's foot slipped and he wound up on the ground, Cronus unconscious on his legs. Kazu, Guardromon, and Cyberdramon were all on the ground on the other side of the room—and so was Ryo, who had a blade sticking out of his chest.

Takato glanced at Reed—he didn't know who to root for. Reed's face was bloody but determined. As Henry raised his hand—clearly preparing for some sort of attack—Reed simply reached into his pocket and pulled out a D-Arc which flared to life. Henry screamed in agony as a blinding green light flushed through the room, and Henry covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut as he staggered around.

_Reed's a Tamer? No, that's—_

It was _Henry's_ D-Arc. Reed was using it against him, and it was working. Henry suddenly turned and leapt out of the window, and the light faded as Reed's arm fell to his side.

Takato was stunned. He was still on the ground, clutching Cronus towards him. Reed let out a grunt.

"Like that was—so—hard to…." He murmured, trailing off. With that, Reed fell to his knees, and then to the floor, Henry's D-Arc dropping from his hand.

* * *

_Oh God—_

Will's entire body tensed up as he saw Ryo. He was barely conscious, but Will could see his eyes shifting around slowly. Will tried to look strong for him, but he was pretty sure it wasn't convincing.

"No, in the next room." Will ordered. He'd heard about what had happened, but he hadn't quite believed it. Henry…it had been him, not Cronus. Will never thought it had _been_ Cronus, of course, but he'd also never thought it had been Henry. Apparently Henry had thrown a knife right at Ryo, and it had hit. And it was still protruding from his chest.

Takato was lifting Ryo's feet, and Renamon—bits of broken glass in her fur—was lifting his upper body from under his arms. They carried him into the small infirmary room, where Will and Giz had had Adrie resting the day she died.

Giz was already in the room, gloves on, and Will hurried in to do the same.

"Gently." Renamon said to Takato.

"Be careful of his head." Takato replied.

The two gently placed him on the bed, the sheets around him starting to turn from white to red.

"Hey, Ryo, can you hear me?" Will asked hopefully, staring at his brother's face, still putting on the gloves.

Will heard a definitive, incoherent grunt from him which actually made Will smile. "That a yes?" he asked.

Another grunt.

"Good. I'm going to give you something to dull the pain, okay?" Will said.

"I need to tell the Circle to increase defenses incase Henry comes back." Takato said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Will knew Takato didn't want to leave, but Will knew what he had to do was important. Will winced as he put the needle into Ryo's arm, his brother's body relaxing.

Giz, meanwhile, was cutting Ryo's shirt open with a pair of scissors. Will's mouth went dry when he saw the wound in full view. Exposed flesh, dripping blood—

"Will!" Giz called.

Will snapped back into it, and looked at Giz curiously, who was extending an open hand, shaking it demandingly.

"What…?" Will murmured.

"I said give me the forceps!"

"R—Right." Will stammered, scooping them off of the table behind him and passing them to Giz. Will grabbed a wire off of a nearby machine, connecting a few electrodes to Ryo's arms and chest. He flicked a switch on the device, and he glanced at the sight of Ryo's heartbeat on the machine.

"_Will!_" Giz barked.

He spun around, only to see Giz looking entirely frustrated. He indicated the door. "Get out."

"What?" Will demanded.

"Renamon and I can handle this." Giz said flatly. "And if you can't stay focused you're no good here. Go fix up Reed."

"But I—" he started to argue, before Renamon placed herself right in front of him.

"Please do as he says." She said quietly.

Will was hurt, but he nodded slowly. He headed out the door to go to where Wisemon had Reed—and on his way out, he saw Rika, distraught. But he didn't know what to say, and so he simply walked past her.

* * *

Takato was leaning with his back to the desk in his room. Jeri and Kazu were in the room as well, silent. Everyone was still in shock. Henry was the Destroyer. They managed to put the surprise aside when it came to the fight, but now that it was over, they'd returned to doubt, denial, and despair.

Henry. Henry Wong. Top of the class. Black belt. Loving family. The evil mastermind that had been two-stepping all over them—it was unconceivable.

They were really waiting for Cronus. He'd been the one to tell them that it was Henry—after Yamaki had asked where Henry was, anyways. Cronus had been armed to the teeth with knives—but when Takato had asked, his friend had just said that there wasn't time, and everyone had gotten into position. Quietly. But if Henry had been exposed, there was no reason to play it quiet anymore. It was time for answers. What Cronus knew, and how he knew it.

Cronus wasn't normal. Takato knew it. He didn't think of it as a bad thing, though—as far as Takato was concerned, Cronus was his friend and brother—but Takato was still sensible enough to know that Cronus was involved deeper than Takato had thought. He'd been different since the battle against Hyperion, when he and Takato had been captured—when Henry had been _extracted_. Takato hadn't had much time to think about it—only a day after they got back, Adrie died…and then Cronus had somehow managed to save Ryo, Rika, and Kazu—and Jeri with no idea of how she appeared back in the city.

Perhaps what Takato was scared most of wasn't that Cronus was hiding something—he was scared that Cronus didn't trust him. Then again, perhaps 'scared' wasn't the right word. Hurt, maybe?

_Not now._

The door slid open clumsily, and Cronus stepped in. He looked to be in as much pain as Takato was—his hair was messier than usual, bits of dried blood in it. He walked with a limp, and was breathing shortly. Most notable, though, was the sling his left arm was in. Takato had almost forgotten that Henry had snapped it.

"Hey." Takato said. "How you feeling?"

"I'd shrug, but I'm told my arm's broken in three places." Cronus said with a weak smile. "You?"

"Been worse." Takato admitted.

_Ryo hasn't._

Takato pushed it out of his mind. "So wanna tell us now what's going on?"

Kazu shifted his weight around, too. At first, Takato thought it was because he was still loopy from taking a dart to the neck, but he soon realized he was nervous.

"Uh, before we get to that, I've got something to confess, too." Kazu said, raising one hand. "When Jeri and I got away from the Destroyer's—from Henry's trap…where you and Cronus were taken? After we saved Calumon, Guardromon and me stayed behind to hold off the guys chasing after us."

Takato perked up, but Jeri was staring at him the most intently. Kazu had refused to give them answers before, and Takato realized he was about to find out why.

"Well, we fought as many as we could, but after Guardromon got knocked out, someone got me, too. But I only fell, I didn't get knocked out. But Henry's agents—I could hear them talking to each other: they were arguing. About how they were supposed to bring us all in alive. Anyways, they decided to hide the body." Kazu explained. "They basically rolled us into some ditch while we played dead. But as soon as they left, we were approached by someone. A human."

Cronus spoke up. "Reed?"

To Takato's surprise, Kazu shook his head.

"No. Another guy. His name's Max. I was with him for that week before I showed up here to help out Rika and Ryo during the fight against the army. Anyways, Max—he's been here—the digital world, I mean—for a while. Maybe not as long as Reed, but long story short—he told me that Reed's been _watching_ us. He's got cameras and systems _everywhere_. Since we got here, he's been watching everything we've been doing. Maybe I should have brought it up sooner, but I only am now because I know he's unconscious and not listening in."

Takato thought about it. "So Reed watches everything we do, then passes it on to Henry?"

"I think so." Kazu nodded.

"I'm not so sure." Cronus finally spoke up. All eyes turned to him, and he continued. "I think he only passes on select information. Just enough to keep the Destroyer's trust."

Jeri bit her lip. "Did Reed tell you that?"

Cronus looked back at her cautiously. "No. My gut's telling me."

Takato felt something inside of him click. "Cronus, he _tortured_ you. He tortured _me…_he murdered Baihumon. He—"

"I know." Cronus interrupted him. "But he told me about Henry, and he was right. And you said yourself that it was Reed that came in and stopped Henry from—from killing us."

"How exactly did that work, anyways?" Kazu asked.

Takato stopped leaning on the desk, turned around, and picked up the green D-Arc that sat on it. The screen was dead. Probably had been for a long time, but nobody thought to look. He tossed it to Kazu, who caught it with his right hand easily.

"This is Henry's." Kazu declared. A pause. "Guess this explains why we haven't seen Terriermon."

Cronus's head sank for a second. "We know Reed was working with the Destroyer. Before the Destroyer could attack Rika, Reed told me that it was really Henry. But Henry turned on Reed before Reed could turn on Henry."

Jeri didn't look surprised. "Is Reed on our side?"

The blonde shook his head. "I don't think so. But he seems as interested in stopping Henry as we are."

_Yeah, great._

"'The enemy of my enemy…'" Jeri murmured.

Cronus nodded slowly, and he hesitated.

"He told me not to tell anyone, but I don't think that it matters much anymore." He paused, turning to Takato. "Did he help any of you and tell you to keep quiet about it?"

Jeri spoke up. "Just before you two got captured, and Kazu and I escaped," she started. "I was investigating a small abandoned village. Where I found those photos of Reed and Ryo together, just before we all met up with him before the D-Reaper fight. There was a statue there, of Reed. It was engraved, saying that he brought them hope."

Takato recalled his own capture. "Cronus, before I found you, when we were in the Destroyer's base…Reed came into my cell and said that the drug he gave me was why I couldn't move my arms or legs, but they worked just fine—I thought he was just being sloppy…you think he was letting me go?"

A thoughtful look from his friend. "Maybe."

Another long silence. Takato shouldn't have been in charge of the mission. Henry had been taken over by some—_thing_, and Ryo—

"When did this all start?" Jeri finally asked.

All eyes turned to Cronus, and he gave what Takato wasn't expecting. A solid answer. "A few days after we came here. When Rika and Henry got sick. Ryo and I thought we'd saved them both, but it only fixed Rika. But the data the Destroyer wants is in her, now. Reed must have figured it out at the same time I did. _She_'s the last piece missing before the Destroyer can start his apocalypse."

As expected, one final silence. Takato started towards the door.

"Takato?" Jeri called.

"I need to see how Ryo's doing." He said. "One of you please check on Reed. We'll know more once he wakes up."

* * *

Will hadn't spoken until several minutes after Kazu entered the room. Will was surprised to see Guardromon with him—but Will was glad that they were both alright. He was dressing Reed's wounds, but he wasn't happy about it. Will should have been with Ryo, not the bad guy. But for a bad guy, Reed didn't look particularly threatening. Still, Will would help him. For Ryo.

"I should be with him." Will muttered.

"Hmm?" Kazu murmured.

"Ryo." Will said, wiping some blood away from the wound on Reed's chest. "Giz doesn't have the right."

"Mm." Kazu mumbled.

"What?" Will asked, pulling a piece of cloth out of the wound with some long tweezers. Whatever it was that got Reed, there were shards of metal in him, and it looked like they took a bit of his shirt in with it. He had to clean the wound up as best as possible if he was to avoid infection.

_Infection._

The word had so many meanings in the digital world.

The digital world…he'd found it so fascinating at first, so interesting. So many scientific principles didn't apply there, so many strange and impossible things, but—but he was hating it more each day. It was harsh, and cruel, and violent. And people got hurt, inside and out.

"I guess I would be, too." Kazu said quietly. Will could hear him approaching from behind, but he was too focused on the injury. "So what do you think happened to him? The Destroyer attack him?"

Will bit his lip, guiltily taking his mind off of Ryo. "No, I think it was an explosion." He traced a finger lightly over a red pattern on Reed's chest, and another on his neck. "Attacks from digimon don't leave things like this—those are burn marks. Nothing serious, but this, here?" he indicated the wound in the center of his chest.

Kazu's face twisted. "Doesn't look _that_ bad."

Will hadn't started bandaging yet. He was busy picking out little pieces of who-knows-what. The wound on his chest was probably about a third of a centimeter deep—flesh that was singed, torn, or missing, across a space about the size of Will's palm. Nothing Will couldn't handle. He just wished he knew what was going on.

_Kazu's right, though. It doesn't look _that_ bad._

Will nodded. "No, it doesn't. But it looks like something exploded _right_ in front of him. Just a few inches away, I think. The burn marks are worst right around there, and I think these metal pieces I'm digging out are shrapnel. Debris that was sent flying. Running around breaking down doors probably didn't do much for his well being."

Kazu was quiet for a second. "He saved our lives."

That was the story, anyways. Henry had knocked out everyone but Takato and Rika, then Reed charged in and scared him away. Will pulled out another piece of metal with one hand, swabbing the blood away with the other. "So who _is_ this guy?"

The brown haired boy shook his head. "I don't know. But if he's as interested in Ryo as Jeri says…by helping him, you might be doing more to save Ryo than you think."

Will let a smile onto his face, but just for a second. He started to turn to get a different swab to clean the blood with, but froze as a cold hand grabbed his wrist.

"Wha—" he started, thinking it was Kazu. But as he spun around, Reed was sitting up, Kazu staring, shocked.

Reed was breathing heavily, still holding Will's arm.

His mouth opened, and a weak but determined voice came out. "_Where's Rika_?"

* * *

"You can hold his hand, you know." Giz said.

Rika snapped back into it, and looked at the Gazimon, confused. "Huh?"

"You're just staring at it." Giz explained. "You can hold his hand if you like."

She hadn't realized that she'd been staring. Well, her eyes _were_ pointed towards at his hand, but she hadn't actually been looking—she'd been thinking.

Just a few hours before, they'd been on a date. Talking about how being together made each other stronger. How it gave them one more thing to fight for—but was it really true? Even if they _did_ make each other stronger—the fact that Ryo was injured so…it meant that he made her stronger than she made him. She wasn't good enough for him.

She took his hand, still sitting at the bedside—as Cronus had done for Adrie all too recently.

"Can he hear me?" Rika asked, looking at Giz, who was looking at some readings.

"Couldn't hurt." Giz replied, before heading to the door. "I'll give you some privacy."

The digimon left the room, leaving Rika alone with Ryo. He was breathing, but she had no idea if it was him, or if one of the machines he was hooked up to was functioning as a respirator.

"Ryo, I—I don't know if you can hear me…" Rika said quietly, staring into his face for some sign that he could. She smiled weakly to herself, thinking of how foolish she must have looked. "I don't know if any of this is going to get through, but I—"

She bit her lip as she accidentally looked at the wound, and her stomach clenched. She was still holding onto his hand with her own right, and she wiped her eyes with her left wrist.

"I need you to get up, Ryo…" she whimpered. "I don't know what I'd do— ."

Still holding his hand with hers, she gently touched his face with her free hand. The warmth of his cheek made her calm down a bit, and she smiled weakly, but just for a second, tuning out the rhythmic beeps from the monitors he was hooked up to.

"You know, a few years ago, if you'd told me I'd be right here—with you—I'd probably have just laughed in your face. I thought that letting people get close only led to feeling like—like _this_. But, you've made me so _happy_, Ryo. Happier than I thought I could be. Happier than I deserve." Rika said, gently touching his hair. "You've always been there for me to save my life, or to help me make hard decisions, or to make me laugh—you're the one good thing in my life that's always been there."

She wiped her eyes again.

"Everything's so horrible, Ryo. First we have to leave our homes, and then Sarian gets attacked, and then Giz, then Hyperion, and now Henry's—" she hesitated, still not wanting to believe it. Ryo's expression remained the same, and she breathed in deeply. "I'm always so proud of the fact that I always have everything together, but right now I just—I just feel like my head's in a million places at once. Henry's coming after _me,_ Ryo, and I'm so scared…I need you here with me and I —God, Ryo please get up—"

"Any change?" a voice called from the door. She turned to see Takato through teary eyes. His expression changed. "Sorry, I can wait outside, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's fine." Rika insisted, giving her eyes another wipe. "Come in. Please."

Takato nodded slowly, and he stood behind her, gently resting a hand on her arm as Giz, too, stepped into the room. "And how are _you_ holding up?"

Rika gave a humorless laugh. "Just great." She murmured. She suddenly perked up, remembering where Takato had been. "What did you find out?"

"Little we didn't already know." Takato sighed. "But I think we'll get the answers we need when Reed wakes up."

_Reed._

Rika recalled the pictures that Jeri had brought—of Reed, Ryo, and of Carter. The three had known each other at some point. They were _smiling_ in the photographs…they had been friends. Ryo, and Reed. Reed—Rika tried not to get her hopes up that Reed still cared. She'd seen him use technology she didn't recognize, back when they'd first met—when Reed had stabbed Cronus through the hand, and then injected him with something to heal him.

She'd already had Will check him for anymore of the serum, but there hadn't been any. Still—if there was any humanity left in Reed, maybe he'd—

"I hate seeing him like this." Takato muttered. "Seems like we're all in that position far too often."

She nodded in agreement. Until her own recent injury—which was well on its way to being healed—Rika had been the only one of them not to sustain a serious injury over the years—her, and Henry, anyways. Takato had been attacked by the monst—by Rika's father, and so had Ryo. Jeri had taken a bullet to the stomach. Cronus got into more fights than Rika could keep track of. Will had been hospitalized by Adam and his friends after he and Ryo had moved to Shinjuku—and Kazu was thought to be dead until he'd saved her and Ryo at the battle outside of Hyperion. And again, Ryo's—

_The Destroyer…Henry was after _me_. Not him…_

"I just can't shake the feeling that it should be me in that bed." Rika said quietly. "Not him."

Giz shook his head. "This shouldn't happen to any of you."

She suddenly felt Takato squeeze her arm gently. "I almost forgot." He said. "I ran into Wisemon on the way here, and he wants to talk to you."

Rika tilted her head slightly, indicating Ryo. "Can't he come _here_? I really don't want to—"

Takato sighed. "I told him that, but he said it was important, and it was something only you could help with, not us."

She wasn't quite sure what they'd want with her…Will was the smart one, and Jeri was the one who was good at talking. Rika's expertise ran more along the lines of making things blow up.

Rika didn't want to leave, but she knew Takato didn't even want to have to ask her. They still had a job to do—the faster they did it, the safer they'd be. The safer Ryo'd be. She turned to her friend, and then indicated Ryo.

"Look over him, okay?"

He nodded.

Takato watched as she left the room—he could see her hesitate, but she didn't look back.

He'd always known that Rika was strong, but lately she hadn't been—at least so much. But he was glad—not that she wasn't as strong, but that she was letting people in. Letting Ryo in. Takato had always known how his best friend had felt about her, and he was so glad for them that they'd finally worked their way through everything and let themselves be happy for a change. God knows they deserved it—but they didn't deserve this. Nobody did.

Takato stared as Ryo's chest rose and fell rhythmically. Giz and the Circle had managed to replicate the medical equipment remarkably—he supposed that with digital sentient life using the Internet at their disposal, they could theoretically make anything.

The Gazimon stepped in, examining some readings. He barely acknowledged Takato, but that was fair enough, because Takato was still staring at Ryo. Giz was an incredible informant, though Takato had no idea how he ever got his information. He must have had an inconceivable amount of contacts. He recalled how Giz had been taken from Sarian, shortly before the Tamers arrived back in the digital world.

"How did you and Ryo first meet?" Takato asked, looking up.

Giz looked up, head tilted. "Got myself into some trouble a while back. Around the time when the Devas first figured out how to get to your world."

It seemed like a lifetime ago, but the timeline fit—Ryo hadn't been in the real world then.

"Anyways, I'm not all that great in a fight, so I usually rely on less conventional means to survive." Giz continued.

"Traps?" Takato asked. He recalled how Rika, Renamon, and Jeri had found him in a trapped underground cavern, with a few dozen doors, monsters behind all the incorrect ones. Apparently that Carter person appeared and told Rika which door was the right one.

Giz nodded. "Well, long story short, I forgot to deactivate one that I didn't need anymore, and wound up with some unsavory characters after me. They were known for causing all sorts of crime in any of the cities, and they wanted me to help them out—to work with them. I almost considered it, but then I met Ryo and Cyberdramon."

Takato said nothing, and let Giz continue uninterrupted.

"Well, you know how he gets." Giz went on, waving a hand. "'Do what's right', 'help everyone you can', all that stuff. As irritatingly do-goody as it is, it's inspiring, so I turned the offer down. They attacked, and he was there to protect me. The group had disbanded shortly after, but I was able to salvage a list of names from the data. Informants for that group. Ryo helped me to—_convince_ them—to tell me all they knew, and I used that to start my network of contacts. I was grateful for Ryo helping me out, so I told him that if he ever needed to know anything, just give me a shout."

Takato nodded slowly. "So why the nickname?"

The Gazimon shrugged. "His idea. Said it'd help him tell me apart from the other Gazimon. It just stuck, I suppose." He paused. "First human friend I ever had—first and only, until you guys, I mean."

Takato was glad Giz was there—not just for treating wounds, but he was pleasant to have around. And he made Will happy, which Takato was all for. He glanced to Ryo, and to the machine that displayed his heartbeat.

"He's very important to you, isn't he?" Giz asked suddenly.

Takato didn't look up. "He's important to all of us."

Takato's best friend. Rika's only real love. Will's big brother. Legendary Tamer. Devoted friend.

_How could Henry have—_

Takato's body tensed up when he saw the display start to spike both higher and lower than it had before, and he heard an alarm go off—no, not an alarm, but it was a beeping.

_Ryo._

Giz had noticed it too, and he was at Ryo's side before Takato could even ask.

"What's going on?"

Giz didn't answer right away, giving Ryo a needle first.

"His vitals—" Giz said. "They're becoming unstable."

His mouth went dry, and he stared at his best friend's face.

"Ryo…" he whispered.

The beeping stopped—replaced by a single, long tone.

_No—_

"Ryo?" Takato said aloud.

Giz was doing _something_, but Takato had a hand on each of Ryo's shoulders, squeezing. "Ryo!

"Respiratory failure." Giz said, reaching for some other tool that Takato didn't bother looking at.

"Ryo, you have to get up!" Takato shouted.

Takato was panting, his face hot, his mouth shaking. He shook Ryo, still holding onto his shoulders.

_No, this isn't happening, this can't be—_

"Please answer me!" he screamed.

"Cardiovascular failure." The digimon reported

Takato was crying by that point. He wanted to just close his eyes and make everything stop, but he knew that it wasn't an option, so he kept them open. The tears made everything blurry.

Ryo was his best friend. Hell, there were things Takato could talk to Ryo about that he couldn't even talk to Jeri about. Maybe Ryo didn't need Takato, but Takato needed Ryo. And so did Rika. And Will—no—no. Ryo was too important. To everyone. This—it couldn't happen—could it…?

"ECG readings have stopped." Giz suddenly said, stopping.

Takato finally took his eyes off of Ryo, staring at Giz with a desperate fury. "_Shut up and _do _something!_" he yelled.

The digimon's face turned solemn.

"I'm sorry, Takato." Giz said finally. "He's dead."

"_No!_"

* * *

Reed buttoned up the shirt that Will had brought him. Dark green, preppy as things could get.

_Gotta be one of Ryo's. Whatever._

They were roughly the same height and build, so it fit well enough. Reed's fingers fumbled when he couldn't find the last button at the bottom. It wasn't there.

He rolled his eyes—not about the shirt, but that he was even remotely concerned about it. He had much greater things to worry about—like Ryo.

Reed glanced at Will, who was wearing an oversized white zip-up hoodie which hung over his shoulder, a black shirt of some sort underneath. The image on the undershirt looked like some sort of band logo, but Reed didn't recognize it. Will shifted in place, glancing away uncomfortably. Guardromon was in the room as well—keeping an eye on Reed, as if it would make a difference—but Will was who Reed was so fascinated by.

_So this is the brother, huh?_

Reed knew very well that the boy was actually Ryo's biological brother, even if Will himself didn't. Not that anyone had _told_ Reed, but he'd overheard it shortly after the battle at Hyperion, when Ryo and Takato briefly talked about it. Reed kept looking at him. He supposed they _sort_ of looked similar—but he wouldn't have guessed that they were actually related. Will was much shorter than Ryo was at that age. Eyes were lighter. Paler. Smarter.

_Apparently not smart enough to figure _that_ out though, is he?_

Reed mentally slapped himself. What he was really doing was distracting himself so that he wouldn't bring Will in on his plan. He was only to bring Will in if everything _else_ went wrong—granted, things _were_ going pretty badly. Still, he wasn't sure who all _did _know about Will's lineage, aside from Ryo and Takato, and maybe Cronus. He wasn't sure about the others. Henry had probably figured it out.

When his computers exploded, the force was a hell of a lot stronger than what a few terminals should have caused—Henry must have brought that one up a few steps. He had no idea how long Henry had been onto him, but Reed wasn't _immediately_ concerned about it. The Destroyer had Carter—the real, _physical_ Carter. The child. Even Henry would know the consequences if something happened to him.

Cronus arrived faster than Reed had thought, Kazu beside him. He looked like crap. But that was to be expected. Not that Reed was in a place to judge—he hurt like hell. He'd probably be dead soon if Will hadn't treated the wounds. Reed'd have to thank him for it someday.

_But not today._

"You three." Reed said, indicating Will, Guardromon, and Kazu. "Give us some privacy."

Will looked hurt, and his mouth opened, but he said nothing. Kazu, as Reed expected, was willing to be more—vocal.

"You actually think we're going to—"

Cronus turned his head to them. "Please give us a minute."

Reed raised his eyebrows.

_Support. Cool._

Kazu looked downright pissed, and Reed would have found it funny if he wasn't so damn scared. Ryo was running out of time.

"_One_ minute." Kazu growled.

"That's all we need." Reed confirmed, nodding. "Wait outside if you like."

The two left, Kazu more grudgingly than Will.

"What's this about?" Cronus asked as the door closed.

"I need to talk to Carter." Reed explained quickly.

Cronus raised an eyebrow.

It _was_ a vague statement, given that there were really three different Carters—the human, the spectral image, and Cronus himself. But it was the glowing, transparent one—the aeon form that Reed needed right then, however much he wanted the real one with him. The aeon—it showed insight that even Reed didn't have. Only it would know how to save Ryo. But it would only appear if—

Reed inhaled sharply, though. Cronus still hadn't figured it out.

"I can't do it if—" Reed started, stopping suddenly, scratching his head quickly, frustrated. "Anytime I've—anytime _anyone's_ seen him, _you_ haven't been—yourself." He continued. "Like when you were trying to balance your human and digimon sides—course, that's not an issue anymore. Other than that, his consciousness has only risen over your own when you've been unconscious—asleep. He projects himself through _you_, Cronus."

"You want to knock me out?" Cronus asked.

"It's important." Reed pleaded.

Reed almost found Cronus stupid for nodding. Were their places switched, Reed wouldn't believe a word he said. Fortunately for Reed—and hopefully, fortunate for Ryo—Cronus was either dumber than he looked, or much, much, _much_ smarter.

Reed punched him hard, and Cronus crumpled to the ground.

"Carter!" Reed shouted. "Carter!"

_No, this has to—_

The room glowed with golden light, and Reed saw him appear, next to Cronus's body.

"This is dangerous for you to do." Carter said, barely murmuring.

"Like I told him," Reed sighed, indicating Cronus's body. "It's important."

Reed wanted to ask a million questions. Like why he'd appeared to the Tamers so many times, but Reed so few. Why Carter talked to them, but not to Reed. Like where he really was, and how Reed could save him. If he even _needed_ saving anymore…

But there wasn't time for any of those questions.

"Ryo." Reed said flatly. "He's dying, isn't he?"

Carter's light brown eyes hit the floor, and as his head dropped, Reed knew that he was already too late.

"He's—already…?"

_No._

"I'm holding his data together as long as I can, but…" Carter trailed off.

Reed was breathing heavily. Maybe it was the blood loss, but he was shaking, too. No, it wasn't that. He was crying.

"_Don't_ let him go." Reed barked desperately.

Carter shook his head. "I don't have the power to—"

_Power…?_

Reed gasped, a final hope entering his mind. "Then take mine. The power of the four strongest creatures in this world should be enough to restore a life."

He'd be powerless…he'd be normal—something Cronus wanted, but Reed didn't. He wouldn't be able to do as much on his own…but Ryo would survive. That would be enough.

Carter looked at him carefully. "Then that is your choice?"

"Yes." Reed nodded. "Bring him back."

* * *

"This isn't happening!" Takato cried, slamming a fist down on Ryo's chest. "_Get up!_"

"Takato!" Giz shouted, grabbing him forcibly by the arm.

"Rika, she's—" Takato whispered. "Oh, my god, and Will—"

His breath escaped him when he saw data in the air.

"No!" he shouted.

_No—_

"What's going…?" Giz murmured.

The data wasn't coming from Ryo. Takato had no idea where it _was _coming from—but it was _going_ into Ryo. The data bits almost seemed to glow…red, blue, white, and black. Takato spun around, and saw that the entire room had filled with them.

"I don't know…" Takato replied. His stomach clenched when he saw another movement. On the bed. Followed by a series of beats—a heartbeat. Ryo.

The wound was gone, but Ryo was still—he wasn't awake. Takato looked at Giz, desperate for an affirmation on what he was seeing. It couldn't possibly be true, but it—

"How is this possible?" Giz asked aloud, looking at readings that printed themselves out. That was all the confirmation Takato needed, and he gently but anxiously shook Ryo by the arm.

"Ryo? Ryo, can you hear me?" Takato asked hopefully.

Ryo grunted, his eyes opening a sliver.

"Mmm?" he murmured.

Takato burst into a fit of laughter, throwing his arms around his friend, who squirmed slightly.

"What are you doing?" Ryo asked, confused.

"You had us all so worried!" Takato exclaimed. "We thought you'd—I _hate you so much_!" he said finally, still laughing.

Ryo smirked, sitting up "You're just saying that." The blue-eyed Tamer scratched the back of his head. "What happened?"

Takato paused. "You don't remember?"

Ryo closed his eyes for a second. "Henry, he—"

"Takato, I just—" a girl called from the door. Rika.

She seemed to be frozen in her tracks by the time Takato had turned to see her, but when he saw her, she was covering her mouth with one hand, seemingly afraid to accept what was real to be true.

"Hey, you." Ryo said with a smile.

She darted over, and hugged Ryo fiercely, kissing him hard, and then hugging him again.

"Ryo, I was so scared, I—"

"Shh, I'm okay now." Ryo said quietly, still hugging her.

"What the hell is going on?" Giz asked again, still staring at the readings. Takato didn't care—Ryo was back, that was all that mattered.

_And Rika's_—

"Rika?" Takato asked, realizing. "What did they say?"

He'd almost forgotten that she sounded like she had something to say—and he was curious as to what Wisemon wanted to talk to her about.

"Takato, the Circle—they—" Rika stammered.

Takato looked at her carefully. Things were either going to go very well or very bad.

"Wisemon and I managed to convince the rest of them." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "They're finally going to help—they're going to take us to the Guardian."

* * *

So, there ya have it. I knew I didn't want Reed to stay all-powerful from early on (hey, it made Cronus less special. In Reed's original outline, he gave up his power to hold off the apocalypse. But I figured having him give it up to save Ryo would get him some points. I was hesitant to write a scene with Ryo dying in it, and I figured Takato would be the only POV that I could write it from. Writing it from Rika's or Will's POV would have just been mean. I figured Takato meant it could be sad, but the character wouldn't break down entirely. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed Rika's little whispers before.

At least it's out there now how Carter shows up…for reference, his first appearance was in Chapter 6, **Something To Say**, in Rika's dream (though she didn't know his name). More on that later in the story, but if you re-read Rika's dream (beginning of the chapter), the marbles Carter's playing with are red, blue, black, and white (Sovereign's colors), and they explode in the order that they're killed (Zhuqiaomon, Azulongmon, Baihumon, Ebonwumon). Note that they were formed in a square, with Rika and Carter standing in the middle. That'll be paralleled in a future chapter, but the same idea was there in **Prophecies** when Ryo was looking at the pictures on the wall—the first ring had twelve (Devas), the second had four (Sovereign), and one in the center, that Ryo thought represented the digital world, but was really the Guardian (Fanglongmon).

Anyways, Cronus was asleep when Rika dreamt about Carter, but we already know Rika's special, so special things happen to her. Next appearance was later that chapter, when Cronus was back at camp when Carter led Rika to where she found Giz. Two chapters later, in **Prophecies**, he led Ryo to the info on the Destroyer, as well as leading Reed to the computer room to see what Ryo was doing. In these chapters, Cronus is struggling with his human and digital parts most, which is why Carter appears so much (note he hasn't been around as much lately).

Anyways, he was around again in Chapters 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, and 16.

So, the next chapter details everything Reed's been doing, and planning to do, and the chapter after that explains what that big old mystery is that was mentioned in chapter 9. Remember the original description for this story (before I started changing it per chapter) was that their only chance of surviving is to uncover the past. Excited yet? No? Darn.

Review anyways…please?

-N


	21. Truth

Yeah, I know the last chapter wasn't very good, but there were a few key things that happened that are gonna have implications in future chapters. I'll try harder, though.

Anyways, thanks for reading this far. Review before you move on to 22!

-N

Dedicated to LoneWolf and Hiei.

* * *

Takato and the others had literally surrounded Reed. They were all there—Kazu, Rika, Ryo; all of their partners, Cronus, Jeri, Takato, Will, Giz, and Wisemon. Everyone but Henry.

He wasn't quite sure why Reed was sticking around, but they owed him—however much it pained Takato to admit. Reed had saved them when Henry attacked. They'd all survived—though Takato wasn't quite sure how that worked…not that he wasn't grateful, of course.

But it wasn't time to wonder—it was time for answers.

"I want to know what's going on." Takato said simply, staring directly at Reed. "What _are _you?"

"I'm _human._" Reed replied flatly.

A small pause caused Takato to realize that he'd have to lead the conversation, since Reed wasn't going to volunteer anything on his own initiative.

_Let's start where it's important._

"Cronus tells me you've killed the last Sovereign. Ebonwumon?" Takato said, taking a deep breath.

"How could a human possibly kill the Sovereign?" Rika interjected.

It was an answer that Takato was curious of himself—he already knew Reed had used their power against each other, but how did he get the first one?

"By explaining the situation to them." Was Reed's response, making eye contact with Rika. "Few months back, I met with Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon. I explained the situation—what was coming. They wouldn't stand a chance, so they _gave_ me their power. Baihumon—the one you saw me take out? He was the only one who didn't go along with it. A week later, I paid a visit to Ebonwumon, and he gave himself up, too."

Takato glanced at Ryo, who was looking back at him doubtfully.

"What were you doing when we first met you?" Kazu asked.

Takato had to think about it—he, Jeri, and Henry had been trying to keep a village of small digimon calm, while Rika, Kazu, Ryo, and Cronus had gone to find the disturbance. Instead they'd found Reed, in an underground passage—thinking he was _sane_, they followed him to where he said the disturbance was. But he instead, he—

"When you found me, I was studying a series of pages with information about the Destroyer—Armageddemon—Henry—whatever you want to call it." Reed replied to Kazu. "The ones you took pictures of and sent to Yamaki."

Takato's eyebrows raised a little.

_He knows about Yamaki?_

Reed then turned to Ryo. "The pages were actually a partial translation taken from the same cave where you found information as well—that the Destroyer would be human."

_When everyone thought it was Cronus._

"Shortly after, Rika and Henry both became infected with the Destroyer's essence." Reed explained. "I directed Cronus and Ryo to a special red data spike that should have removed the Destroyer's presence entirely—but it only worked on Rika."

"Why didn't it work on Henry?" Jeri asked with uncertainty in her voice.

Reed glanced at her, giving a shrug. "Maybe part of him wanted it." He suggested.

"You don't know Henry." Rika snapped.

"Maybe not." The blonde young man glanced at her. "But I can't help but notice that he's evil now, and you're not?" he added condescendingly.

Rika apparently didn't have any response, though neither did Takato. Reed continued.

"The Destroyer had taken ahold of Henry almost immediately. But part of the its data remained in Rika—let's call it Data X. It wasn't anything dangerous on its own, but it looks like it's the last piece that Armageddemon needs to reach its full power. I knew that the Destroyer would be weak immediately following its resurrection—it would want powerful allies—so I made myself available." Reed went on. "The plan was to find out what the Destroyer wanted, then take it away—then kill him, and absorb the data."

"How?" Takato challenged.

Reed smirked. "By using the same weapon you would use." He pointed at Cronus. "When I attacked you two, I told you that Cronus's power could be unlimited—but that _you_ were holding him back, Takato."

Takato remembered it well—Reed had thrown Takato around and into the side of a building. Cronus had had to reset his arm.

"I'd explained how his tie to you was actually killing him." Reed recalled, not bothering to glance at Cronus. "Turns out I was only half-right, but we'll get to that in a minute."

Either Reed was an exceptional liar, or he wasn't hiding anything anymore. Takato wasn't quite sure which— both were equally likely.

"Anyways, at about this time, the Destroyer raised his other two heralds—BlueMeramon, and Gigadramon. Rika and Ryo had the pleasure of meeting both of them, and Cronus, Kazu, and Jeri only got to meet the latter." He said. "When Ryo read the prophecies about the Destroyer, Henry got worried you'd catch onto him—and this is where he turned on me. He told me that Rika needed to die in order to keep Ryo distracted—but he didn't order me to do it—he sent BlueMeramon. I thought that he wanted to slow Ryo down—but what he really wanted was the Data X inside of Rika."

Takato'd been told about the encounter itself—it was just after Will had come to the digital world.

"Meanwhile, Henry set up a plan to make it look like someone else was the Destroyer, and not him." He suddenly turned to Will, who looked nervous. "When Will came to the digital world looking for Ryo, that was the opportunity that Armageddemon needed. He had some servants here in the city spread the belief that Will was the Destroyer—even after Rika saved him, the belief remained—because when Ryo arrived and explained what he'd learned, you all thought it was Cronus."

Takato could bring himself to look at Cronus.

"I didn't." Will replied quickly. Neither did Takato, but Takato was still happy that someone spoke up.

Reed smirked.

"No, I guess not." He mused. "Anyways, I warned Ryo that BlueMeramon was after Rika—I told him you'd all die if he said anything, so don't be pissy with him—I killed BlueMeramon and knocked Ryo out. But I soon learned that Henry had anticipated BlueMeramon's defeat—The Destroyer had actually imbued Gigadramon with more power than BlueMeramon, and when BlueMeramon failed, the Destroyer didn't suspect it was me—it had believed that Ryo and Cyberdramon had just gotten the best of it."

Takato fired a glance to Jeri, who didn't look back at him.

"Following that, Cronus and Takato met back up with Jeri, Henry, and Kazu. The Destroyer ordered its extraction, and Henry, Cronus, and Takato were captured while Jeri and Kazu made it away." He turned to Kazu. "No idea how you slipped off the radar for a week, but I assure you I gave explicit orders to them _not_ to kill you."

"I know." Kazu murmured.

"During my torture sessions with Cronus, I learned what exactly makes his power—_tick_." Reed went on. "I fixed his little 'going-to-die' problem, broke him down psychologically, and let him and Takato fight their problems out. While Rika, Ryo, Kazu, and Will were defending the city from the Destroyer's army; Jeri, Takato and Cronus activated the failsafe I made and killed off the army with a push of a button."

"Why did the Destroyer choose to attack the city at that time?" Wisemon suddenly asked. "Why not wait until he had the power to do it himself?"

"Well, you already know the answer to that, don't you?" Reed's head tilted to one side, and he grinned. "Because of what you've got hidden here—he was trying to kill off the Guardian."

"What…?" Renamon murmured.

_The Guardian?_

Reed turned to the fox. "The Guardian you've all been trying to find is right here, beneath the city." He turned back to Wisemon. "Isn't that right?"

No response came from the hooded digimon, and Takato felt betrayed—like he knew his friends did. The Guardian had been right _underneath_ them all that time.

"The Sovereign—all _five_ of them—are based off of the Chinese Ssu Ling." Reed elaborated. "Henry had just been thinking about the possibility of there being a fifth Sovereign before the Destroyer corrupted him. He allowed the Circle to pull Takato, Cronus, Jeri, and himself back to the city—I thought he was after Cronus, like I was, but he was, of course, really after Data X. After Rika."

Rika's arms were crossed, but Takato could see her shiver ever so slightly as Reed spoke.

"With the Destroyer's army 'defeated', you were all so happy that you didn't even notice a portal open right next to the city." Reed noted. "And out of it fell a young girl named Adriana Burke."

Takato could see Cronus tense up, and he touched him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"The Destroyer saw her potential as a weapon, and activated the data she'd unintentionally absorbed from the remnants of the defeated army. And again, he set his servant after what he wanted—Rika." Reed sighed. "When you all managed to subdue her, she was able to fight back against the data, albeit temporarily." Another glance at Cronus. "There was no choice in what happened."

What had happened to Adrie had had a profound impact on Cronus—Takato didn't think he'd seen his friend smile genuinely since then.

"When Henry pointed you all to a so-called 'disturbance', you didn't think anything of it. I then sent Cronus into the battle, and pulled Jeri out of it. After you'd killed Gigadramon, I told Cronus about Henry, though that was never my intention. Regardless, he figured out what the Destroyer was after, and then you all watched as Henry tried to make his move—and, well, here we are."

_Here we are._

Takato cleared his throat "Why ally yourself with the Destroyer in the first place?" he asked. "Why not kill him before things got out of hand?"

Reed bit his lip. "Well, the intention was never for things to get out of hand." He clarified. "I needed the Destroyer's power—there wasn't enough of it when this all started. But he does now—and when I kill him, I'm going to take it."

Takato hated having to rely on someone like Reed for answers. But alternative options were in short supply. "What did you need the power for?"

"What are some of the most powerful things in the digital world?" Reed asked suddenly. "Off of the top of your heads. Quickly, now."

"Our mega-forms." Ryo answered first.

"Very close." Reed smirked, though not altogether surprised. "The—_special_ digimon get _human_ partners. With _humans _they could digivolve, even biomerge—notice that some of the most powerful mega-levels look decidedly _human_? Take a look around, the influence is everywhere." He indicated Wisemon. "I mean geeze, look at him. It's the dream of just about every creature in this world to make it to ours. To them, we're from a higher plane. Can never _quite_ trust us—can never _fully_ relate to us."

Takato wanted to object, but he knew Reed was right. Aside from humans and digimon that were partners, the other digimon in the world were always wary—even the Circle, who had given them so much, had been incredibly difficult in getting the army to defend the city, or even agreeing to take them to the Guardian.

Reed indicated Cronus suddenly, but still spoke to the others. "Him—_he's_ what the digital world sees us as—impossibly strong. Unpredictable. Dangerous."

Takato knew he was referencing Cronus's ability to be able to kill one of the Destroyer's most powerful servants. Kazu and Ryo had both told him about how Cronus behaved in that fight, and it was so similar to how Takato had seen him months ago.

Reed looked directly at Cronus, but then turned back to the others. "We _all_—every single human—_are_ dangerous to this world. We each got an unlimited amount of power. It's just impossible for any of us to access it—the digital world itself contains it. So imagine, if you can, someone who _could_ access it? Who, given time, could control the digital world itself at everything from the most basic to complex levels…someone human, but a _part_ of this world. About five years ago, there was such a case."

_Five years…? That Kudamon said this all started thirteen years ago…_

Reed hesitated, even though nobody dared to interrupt him. "Five years ago, a—young couple came to the digital world. The woman was pregnant. But the transition to this world triggered an early labour. And before anyone could realize the implications of it, a human baby boy was born."

"Carter." Rika said, realizing.

A slow nod from Reed. "At first, nobody realized the severity of the situation. But word made it around the digital world—some thought it was the biggest miracle they could even conceive. Others thought of his very existence as sacrilege. But there was a digimon that traveled to the real world, and stole the child from his home—_that's_ why I'm here."

"When you tried to trade us to that—_thing_," Ryo stated. "It was in exchange for him. For Carter."

"Yes." Reed replied. "After Carter was taken, we had no idea that he'd been taken to the digital world—there wasn't anything to suggest that he'd been brought here, but I thought it was worth a shot. A friend of mine and I sought out to investigate here. From the real world, he was able to set up cameras to monitor huge sections of this world."

"That's how you've been watching us?" Kazu asked.

A nod from Reed.

"For weeks, we couldn't find _anything_—and then we found reference to the coming of a human with extraordinary power. But it wasn't talking about Carter—"

"It was talking about Henry." Takato finished.

"That's right." Reed confirmed. "So I came to the digital world, while my friend stayed in the real world to provide feedback. He suggested I speak with the Sovereign, and you know how that went. Anyways, it turned out that nothing could have been done to stop the Destroyer's awakening—so I decided to use it.

Takato was looking at the various expressions on Cronus's face. His friend looked back at him with sad eyes—but just for a second, and then he turned back to Reed. The one who_ had_ answers for him.

"What am I?" Cronus asked.

"Like I told you before, you're a digital monster reshaped into a biological copy of Carter." Reed said slowly. "The headaches you had a few weeks ago…whenever you felt—anything—that was the digital world itself rejecting you—for being human. It was trying to take away your power—and seeing as how you are almost entirely made _of_ power, as far as this world's concerned, it really _would_ have killed you. When you and Takato were captured, I activated a program in you based off one that was active in the _real _Carter. It's what allows you to access the power you can—not as much as Carter could, but more than a regular human could ever hope to."

Just like that, a huge puzzle piece fell into place. But there was still something Takato was curious about.

"How are you and Carter connected?" Takato asked.

"That couple that came here—"Reed hesitated. "The man is my older brother."

_Nephew. Carter is Reed's nephew._

"Where is Carter now?" Wisemon asked.

Reed glared at him. "If I knew, I'd have taken him and left this ridiculous world." He snapped. His tone then changed, and he spoke quietly. "The Destroyer has him—or at least...it knows where he is. Carter's release was part of our arrangement."

"Is he in danger?" Jeri asked.

Reed sighed. "No—I don't think so. He's too valuable to be in danger. And since he's a—special case, his data wouldn't give any power—it's his very essence that's tied to this world. Of course, things became more complicated when Guilmon was turned human…now there's the physical, _human_ Carter that the Destroyer has; there's Cronus, then there's the—aeon Carter, who's appeared to most of you."

"What's the difference between them?" Ryo asked.

"The physical Carter is the one who has all the _real_ power—he's just too young to know how to access it. Cronus _can_ access it, but not at the same level that Carter is capable of. The one that's appeared all those times—the aeon form—as far as I can tell, he's incapable of interacting with this world directly, and exists in the shared unconscious of both Cronus and Carter. When the physical Carter as well as Cronus are unconscious, the aeon Carter is able to manifest—at least, that's what I've observed."

Takato saw Ryo make eye contact with him, and Takato nodded. Ryo pulled a fold of paper out of his pocket and passed it to Reed.

"Care to explain this?" he asked.

Reed unfolded it, and Takato saw the picture of Reed and Ryo. Reed smirked. "You always were more photogenic than me."

"I think I deserve some damn answers." Ryo growled.

"Probably, but explaining this now would—"

Everyone paused when static was suddenly heard, a voice trying to speak over it.

_Yamaki?_

Takato looked at Will, who looked as confused as Takato was. It wasn't coming from the Hypnos receiver.

But Reed's eyes widened, and he pulled a walkie-talkie-looking device out of his pocket, staring at it hopefully.

"R—d, are y—ere?"

"Delta? I'm here, but I can barely hear you." Reed said clearly.

The static started to clear. "How's that?"

"Better." Reed said. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I was more worried about you. What's your status?" the male voice asked.

"I'm with the team Hypnos sent in." Reed answered, glancing around at everyone.

"Is Rika safe?" 'Delta' asked.

Takato found himself taken aback— the voice sounded concerned. Not in a professional way, talking about their mission, either. It sounded like he actually _cared_ for Rika's well-being.

"Yeah, through no help of my own." Reed replied. "What's our next move?"

"You need to fortify the city. If the Destroyer launches another attack, it's not gonna be an army—it's gonna be a blast. Hyperion's defenses need to be reactivated _now_."

Reed looked from the receiver to Wisemon. "How close are you to restoring those shields?"

Takato had almost forgotten that Reed had been watching everything they did—including working on repairing them.

Wisemon shook his head. "No closer than when we started."

"Amateurs." Reed muttered under his breath. He raised the device again. "Defenses are down."

"Shit." The voice murmured. "Well, if Henry's already made his move, then it won't hurt to work with the Tamers now, so...is the kid near you?"

All eyes turned to Will, who looked scared.

"Yeah, he's here." Reed answered.

"If they're willing to work with us, I can walk him through the process, and we can get those shields up in a few hours."

Reed looked to Will, then to Takato, then to Ryo. "How 'bout it?"

Takato knew that Ryo was wary of working with Reed, but they really didn't have any choice—Will was smart enough to know what they would be doing as they did it, and Takato trusted him enough to stop if he thought something wasn't right. Takato nodded slowly to Ryo, who did the same, but not without an added threat. "If you try to pull anything—" he said sternly to Reed.

Reed nodded, then spoke to his partner. "They're up for it."

"Okay. Hey, why am I getting such a low power readout from you?" Delta asked suddenly. "Cronus is still off the charts, but you're—"

_Reed's power's missing? I guess that would explain him having a civil conversation._

"It's gone." Reed said flatly.

"Define 'gone'"? his friend asked carefully.

Reed paused, dropping his gaze to the ground. "I gave it up so that Ryo wouldn't die." He muttered. "Here's Connors."

With that, Reed tosses the receiver at Will, who fumbled a few times in catching it.

"What?" Rika whispered aloud.

_Reed gave up the power…_

_That_ was what Takato saw after Ryo had 'died'. The color of the data he saw—they were the color of the Sovereign. Their data—Reed's data. He glanced to Ryo, whose mouth was open, no sound coming out. He hadn't remembered anything that had happened—only Takato and Giz had seen it, and they hadn't told Rika or the others that Ryo really was dead for a moment. Reed was headed for the door, and Takato bit his lip. Takato pointed to Will, getting his attention.

"Will, you and Wisemon do what you can for the shields, but don't do anything you think might be a trap. Ryo, you and Kazu go keep an eye on them." He ordered. "Rika, Jeri, go find Giz, then hit the streets—see what you can find out about this next attack the Destroyer's gonna make. Cronus, protect them."

After a nod from all his friends, Takato followed Reed out of the room.

"Hey." Takato called.

Reed slowed his pace, and eventually stopped, sighing. "What?" he asked. "Wanna fight again now that it's gonna be a fair one?"

Takato rolled his eyes. "A little, but what's the point?"

He saw a smile work its way across Reed's face, and he should have seen it coming, but he didn't. Reed punched him hard, and Takato could have sworn he felt his jaw click as his head jerked to the side. Instinctively, he grabbed Reed by the shirt and swung him against the wall, pushing him up against it.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

Reed snickered. "Humor me. If you win I'll give you something very special."

"And if I lose?" Takato asked.

A shrug. "Just a headache. I'm not out to kill you, I'm just really damn frustrated."

Takato could relate, and perhaps that was why he swung Reed around towards the wall on the other side of the hall. He kicked Reed in the stomach, and as he doubled over, he tried to kick him in the face—hell, it had worked once before. But Reed saw it coming, grabbed his leg and _pulled, _sending Takato to the ground.

Gritting his teeth, Takato kicked Reed's leg hard with his own free leg, and Reed let go. He tried to climb to his feet, but Reed put his foot on the side of Takato's shoulder and pushed him back to the ground. Fortunately, Takato was then far enough away to actually get up—and when Reed tried to punch him, Takato swung him around, and forced his face hard against the wall, pinning one of Reed's arms against the wall, and the other behind his back. Takato had won.

Reed was laughing, and Takato felt no struggle from his wrists, and he let go, backing up, breathing heavily. Reed's nose was bleeding, and Takato's jaw didn't feel great, but he too, wasn't exactly frowning.

"Well, you're really not the little kid you were a couple of years ago, are you?" Reed grinned.

"The lives my friends and I have? Pretty violent." Takato shrugged. "You learn to adapt."

A small laugh from Reed—not his usual condescending one, but one of genuine humor. "Well, so it seems."

Takato raised an eyebrow. "So what's my prize?"

"Ah, right to business." Reed cooed. "Follow me."

The two walked down the hall without speaking, though Takato was still creeped out by the fact that Reed knew where he was going—to Will's room.

"What are we doing here?" Takato asked as Reed pushed the door open.

"Check this out." Reed said, approaching one of the walls. He felt around for a second, and then looked to Will's desk. "Hand me that screwdriver, will ya?"

Takato complied, his curiosity getting the better of him. Reed inserted the flat end of it into one of the crevices between the bricks, and started to pry it away. The single brick started to move, and when Reed finally managed to pull it out, he saw something hidden behind it.

Reed reached in, and tossed the single content to Takato with one hand, putting the brick back with the other.

It was a D-Arc—dark orange.

"What's—" Takato stammered, confused.

"It's Will's." Reed confirmed. "I'm not sure when exactly it appeared, but he's got no idea—Henry got to it before Will could, and hid it there. If he didn't have had time to sneak it _out_ of the room, someone must have been coming and he'd no place to hide it on himself. I caught it on the cameras. I know you and Ryo were both—concerned—about him getting one, so I'll let you two decide what to do with it."

Takato met his eye. "Giz, or Wisemon?"

"Giz." Reed confirmed.

Reed started towards the door, and Takato followed him. "Where are you going?"

"Out." Reed answered.

Takato rolled his eyes. Reed was walking quickly, but Takato matched his pace. "Out where?"

Reed stopped, and Takato very nearly bumped into him. The blonde looked at him. "I'll fight the Destroyer my own way."

Takato had to restrain himself from laughing in Reed's face. "Reed, _I_ just beat you in a fight. What can you possibly hope to—"

"Takato, I've survived worse things than the Destroyer." Reed said seriously, before allowing a smile through. "Like being around you for ten minutes and not killing myself, for example." He added.

_Ouch_.

"We _both_ know that we're _all_ better off if we work together on this." Takato challenged. "Stay here."

Takato couldn't believe what he was asking—a day ago, Takato was ready to tear Reed apart. A few hours ago, Reed had saved his life. A few minutes ago, they'd gotten in another fist-fight. And a few seconds ago, Takato had just protested Reed's leaving. Complicated times.

Reed didn't smirk that time. "Everything that's happened…everything that's happening—everything that's _going_ to happen—it's all connected. Don't worry. We'll meet again, I'm sure of it."

Reed nodded to Takato, and by the time Takato nodded back, Reed was already walking away.

It was quiet. A glance at his watch told Takato that it had been twenty eight seconds since he last checked it. Of course, he couldn't sleep. It wasn't like he'd be tired in the morning, though. It was pretty much a guarantee that he'd be running on adrenaline if he needed to be, which he probably would.

Rika, Jeri, Cronus, and Giz hadn't been able to find anything about the Destroyer's next move. Last that Takato heard, that guy with the Delta nickname, or codename, or whatever—he, Will, and Wisemon had made considerable progress on the shields. Takato had been pissed to learn that the Guardian was actually underneath Hyperion, but he didn't let it show. It didn't matter—as long as they got to it soon. The Circle insisted they wait until morning, which everyone had agreed to. Thus the insomnia.

In about six hours he'd be meeting with the Guardian of the digital world, and the fifth—and final—Sovereign. Fanglongmon. It had seemed a miracle to Takato when he learned that there was one more left…not because it gave them a chance to protect it, but because its power was supposedly enough to protect _them_, which Takato considered a nice change of pace.

He sat up in his bed, knowing that trying to get to sleep was a waste of time. He pulled the blankets off of himself and went to the dresser, and stared into the mirror for a moment. His hair was a little messier than usual, but it didn't look bad. Jeri had given it a trim the day before, which Takato was grateful for. Lately it seemed that he had very little _to_ be grateful for. Because he was failing.

A sigh. It sounded like the last four.

Why did it have to be Henry? Why couldn't the Destroyer have taken over some horrible murderer? Henry had a little sister…little Suzie. Takato found some thanks in the fact that least she wasn't there to learn of what had happened to her brother.

Takato noticed a scratch on his face, just underneath his right eye. It wasn't anything big, or even painful, but it reminded him of the little scars and scrapes he had all over. Which, in turn, reminded him of the larger ones Cronus had all over his back. When Cronus had asked him why they were there, Takato wasn't able to present him with an answer, and Takato wished more than anything that he could have.

It was sort of a hidden motive Takato had to speak with Fanglongmon. Cronus _deserved_ answers, and if the Guardian was as wise and powerful as his reputation claimed, then he was the only one who could explain everything. Cronus's purpose.

What he'd learned about Carter—and Cronus's connection to him…it was a start in helping Cronus learn who he really was…but the way that Reed had described it—Cronus wasn't just an extension of Carter—they were supposedly identical, but unique at the same time.

Takato pulled open the top drawer and grabbed a white t-shirt, and slipped it on. He was wearing his favorite green pajama pants that his mom had gotten him just before he came back to the digital world. Takato smiled a little, missing his family. There were times when he almost resented them for letting him do whatever he wanted…it had crossed his mind that maybe they didn't care. But he knew that they did, and he was so grateful that they were so supportive of him. In fighting the D-Reaper, in meeting Guilmon and then Cronus, in helping Will and Ryo through their mother's death—a part of Takato just wanted to go home.

He noticed it in the drawer—Will's D-Arc. He wasn't sure what he was thinking, but he tucked it into his pocket.

He'd decided to go for a walk, but he didn't bother putting on socks. Even though the floors were all stone, they weren't cold, and he didn't really have to worry about stepping on anything since Meteormon was so anal about keeping the towers clean of garbage. Takato did, however, grab the sweater that was sitting on his backpack. It was Cronus's brown hoodie, but he was sure Cronus wouldn't mind.

Takato turned the doorknob and slipped out. The hallway was very well lit, and entirely empty. He wanted to go visit Jeri, but her room was in Janus, not Atlas, and it was a pretty far walk; and it was locked up at night anyways. That and she was probably asleep. Cronus, however, was just next door, and Takato was already walking there.

He knocked gently and turned the knob. The lights were all off, but the light that shone in from the hallway onto the bed showed Takato that Cronus was sound asleep. Takato gave a little smile. Just like Guilmon—the only person crazy enough to sleep at a time like this.

Takato realized that he'd already stepped into the room. Mentally shrugging, he sat down at the desk, and stared at his friend.

Cronus stirred slightly in his sleep, giving an incoherent mumble, which Takato took as a cue to leave. He stepped to the doorway, taking another glance back at his friend.

_I swear I'll get the answers for you. Even if it kills me._

With Takato's luck, it would. But he was ready for that, if it needed to happen. If the Destroyer were to merge both worlds, it would be total ruin for everything and everyone. It was obvious that the Destroyer wanted Cronus—or Carter, or both…which gave Cronus power over the Destroyer. The way Takato saw it, is that he'd give up his life if it meant Cronus could stop that from happening.

He was walking down the hall when he came to the corner, and walked straight into someone coming around it. Both of them jumped in surprise.

"God _damn_ it, Takato!" Ryo grumbled as he caught his breath. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Yeah, well, I've been waiting at this corner here for hours for you to come 'round so I could scare you. Took you long enough." Takato declared, shrugging. "I figured that it's been a while."

"I hate you." Ryo said informatively.

"Yeah, I know." Takato nodded. "Where are you off to?"

"Couldn't sleep." Ryo shrugged. "Went to find something to eat. You?"

"Couldn't sleep." Takato repeated. "So I went skulking."

"Ah." Ryo replied. "Where you going now?"

Takato's face twisted in thought as he tried to come up with an answer. Ryo'd figured out that he was just pacing. The two wound up heading to Ryo's room. It was the same size as Takato's, except instead of a desk there were a two sofas. Takato silently snickered at the thought of the Circle of Telesto having a top-priority meeting about how to furnish the Tamers' rooms.

"Went to see Cronus." Takato said, breaking the silence as they stepped into the room. "Gotta admit I'm jealous that he can get to sleep."

"I hear that." Ryo agreed. "My eyes are so sore but I was pretty much just laying there. Hell, I actually wish I had some homework to do."

Takato snickered. "Well, that says something." Ryo'd gone and flopped onto the bed, so Takato sat on the sofa, holding Cronus's hoodie behind his head as a pillow.

"Hey, Takato?" Ryo asked after a while.

Takato didn't stop staring at the ceiling. "Yeah?"

"Say Fanglongmon goes after the Destroyer—after Henry…" Ryo started. "Then what?"

Takato's mouth felt dry. "Then I guess we get him to save him. You know, get the Destroyer out of him."

"Right." Ryo replied. It was clear that Ryo just didn't want to ask what they'd do if the Guardian _couldn't_ restore Henry. Which worked out for Takato, who didn't have an answer.

It was something nobody had dared to ask Reed about, because they didn't want to hear the answer—and Reed was a blunt enough person that he wouldn't sugar-coat things…if there was no way to save Henry—or if Reed didn't _know _of a way to save Henry—then he'd have said what they were all thinking. That they'd have to kill him.

"How are you faring with all this, anyways?" Takato asked him.

He heard Ryo pause, but Takato didn't look to him so as not to rush him. "I guess I'm alright, all things considered."

"How's Rika?"

"Shaky." was Ryo's declarative response. "I mean, if Cronus hadn't used that red data spike, the Destroyer would be controlling her, too."

"I wonder why it only saved her, and not Henry?" Takato asked. He didn't want to believe what Reed had suggested—that maybe part of Henry _wanted_ it.

"Wish I knew." Ryo replied quietly.

"Me too." Takato replied, though it was probably too quiet for Ryo to have heard. "I just—I just wish I had some—assurance…that this was all happening for a reason. Than in the end, everything would work out."

"Well, we've got all that blasphemy to commit in a few hours." Ryo spoke softly. "Maybe the Guardian'll be able to tell us just that."

_Blasphemy…_

If the population of Hyperion knew that humans were going to talk to the Guardian, it'd be an uproar. Even Renamon was clearly upset about it, though she never said anything.

"That'd be nice." Takato noted.

It was some hope that Takato was hanging onto. The last few weeks, everything had just been so horrible. He _needed_ something to go right. If only once.

"What's the word on the shields?" Takato asked.

"I think they called it a night." He heard Ryo say. "That Delta guy knew what he was doing, but we're missing a lot of the equipment that Will needed."

Takato frowned, too. "Well, we can work on that after, I guess." He suggested hopefully.

"That's the plan." Ryo murmured.

_Will—_

Takato suddenly realized that he had it with him. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out Will's D-Arc, and lobbed it over to Ryo, who was still laying on the bed, not watching. It hit him in the chest.

"Ow." Ryo grunted. "What the hell're you—wait…" he sat up. "What is this?"

Takato knew it was just poor wording, as Ryo of all people knew what a D-Arc was. Takato inhaled sharply. "It's Will's. Henry hid it before Will could find it—and Reed gave it to me before he took off. Giz is his partner—just—neither of them know it."

Ryo was evidently torn—they'd had the discussion a few times, and they still couldn't agree if it was a good thing or not if Will ever became a Tamer officially. Ryo noted that it was dangerous, but conversely, Jeri noted that he might actually be safer with a partner looking out for him.

Takato sighed. "Would have gotten it to you sooner, but I couldn't get a moment to myself here."

The day _had_ been pretty hectic. There was a time when he would have embraced it—being surrounded by people he loved, all working towards a common goal. But the times had changed, and the people he loved were in danger, and the common goal might have involved killing one of his best friends.

"Should we give it to him?" Takato asked.

Ryo looked thoughtful, but he nodded slowly. "Yeah. But—after. After this whole Guardian thing, I mean."

"Alright." Takato nodded.

It was Ryo's decision, not Takato's.

"Try to get some sleep." Takato suggested after a moment, standing up, putting the sweater under his arm.

"Yeah, probably a good idea." Ryo responded. "You do the same, alright? I'll see you in a few hours."

"Night, Ryo." Takato said as he stepped out of the room. Of course, he had no intention of going to sleep. He finally put on the sweater he'd been carrying around and headed for the stairs.

Jeri'd mentioned to him that there was a balcony at the top of the tower with a beautiful view. He'd just never gotten around to actually going to see it. She'd told him that Calumon'd been up there when he sent out his light on the whole city.

The floor just beneath the top one didn't follow the same layout as all the others, so it took Takato a little while to find the last flight. When he did find it though, he was glad he went up there—the view _was_ beautiful.

_This is what we've gotta protect_.

The city looked so small, however gigantic it really was. Small, and helpless.

"Takato?" a voice called. He turned to see Will, a device in his hand, looking curious.

"Hey. Shouldn't you be asleep?" Takato asked.

Will shrugged. "Shouldn't you?"

Takato grinned, and turned back to look at the city. "What's up?" he asked.

"I thought of a way to make up for some of the tools we were missing, so I started working on the shields again. I didn't wanna wake up Wisemon or Giz, though." Will said sheepishly. "What about you?"

"Couldn't sleep." Takato shrugged. "Anything I can help out with?"

The boy scratched his head. "A half hour ago you coulda." He said. "But I think I've got it now."

Takato's eyes widened. "You got them working?"

He inhaled deeply. "Let's find out."

Will pushed a few buttons, and then turned a knob clockwise, and then looked up hopefully. At first, Takato had thought he hadn't done it after all—but several white rings suddenly appeared, coiling around the city, the spaced between them filling in with a bright blue light. He'd done it.

Will was grinning, too. "I think it worked." He said.

"I think you're even smarter than we expected." Takato laughed. They stared at the shields for a moment before Will turned the dial back down, and hit a different series of buttons. First the blue light disappeared, then the white rings.

Will sat down, leaning against the railing, tying his shoes. "So are you excited to meet the Guardian?" he asked casually.

Excited—it wasn't quite the word Takato would have used to describe what he was feeling, but in a way, it worked.

"I guess so." He admitted. "You?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. I wonder if he's nice..." Will said, still staring at his feet. "None of the digimon seem excited about it, though."

Takato shrugged, sitting down himself. "It's what we've gotta do."

"So what do you think the Guardian's gonna do?"

"I'm not sure…" Takato replied quietly. "But I feel like—I feel that we're nearing the end."

"'The end'?" Will asked. "Of what?"

Takato shook his head. "I'm not sure."

He couldn't explain it—Reed knew so much about—about everything…he knew where the Guardian was, and he knew the Tamers would be meeting with it—why would he choose to leave? It was as if Reed didn't think the Guardian would help fight the Destroyer again…

"I don't know." Takato repeated, starting to stand up. "But we should both go get some sleep." He suggested, meaning it that time. "We've got a big day ahead of us."

_It's time to finish this._

* * *

Whee. Review before you read on!

-N


	22. The Forgotten Past

Before you read on, are you sure you should be here? This update has two chapters in it…you might be looking for **Chapter 21, Truth**.

Okay, this story was first published on July 18th 2006. _This_ chapter was first written more than two months before that, on May 8th 2006. It's undergone some tweaking since then, but for the most part, the majority of the story 'til now was written to lead up to this chapter.

Enjoy, and please review!

-N

Dedicated to Takari Freek.

* * *

Takato squeezed Jeri's hand gently as Wisemon led the Tamers to a room—it was the room where Wisemon, Giz, and Will did most of their repairs and little projects. Will had a few computers set up—only it was different during that visit—a wall had a piece neatly removed from it, and a small round room was visible through it. Takato had a pretty good sense of direction, and he realized that it was in the very center of the tower…it was an elevator.

"It was _here_ this whole time?" Will asked, seemingly frustrated with himself for not having noticed.

Giz stepped forward and sat on the table.

Will looked concerned. "You're not coming?"

Giz shook his head. "No. It's not my place to go."

Takato knew that Giz wasn't comfortable with the idea of humans meeting the Guardian, and he knew that Will knew that as well, so nobody pushed the idea further. Kazu, Rika, and Ryo had already stepped onto the platform, slowly followed by their partners. Cronus and Will were next, and finally Takato stepped on, still holding Jeri's hand.

He felt his heart pound when the floor started to move, and he could feel them descending. They were pretty high up, and even though the lift was descending quickly, it still took what seemed like ages.

After it had gotten to the underground, the lift was carried by the four rails in each corner that extended upward. They seemed to glow light blue, and were almost blinding in the blackness all around.

_No, not everywhere…_

He could see it below—a dark green light. No, not a light—a platform. It seemed to be glowing, but it wasn't a light itself. The lift stopped at that level. Takato looked up—he couldn't see anything except the rails that carried the lift.

He glanced first to Jeri, and next to Ryo. Taking a breath, Takato took a step forward. The green platform was solid ground—transparent, but it was sturdy. It didn't even tilt when all of the others stepped onto it.

"Is this—" Rika asked, confused. "Where we're supposed to be?"

"Hello?" Kazu called loudly, Takato giving him a look. They had to be—respectful.

There was no response, however.

"Something's wrong." Cronus whispered.

"Of course something is wrong." Renamon said hopelessly. "Our very presence here is blasphemy."

"I know _that_." Cronus replied, slightly annoyed. "But something else—something's not right. I can feel power in this place, but—can't you feel it, too?"

One by one, the Tamers' partners nodded.

"I don't get it, where's Fanglongmon?" Will asked.

Takato looked around the barren platform, before noticing a small white pearl-sized sphere on the ground. Jeri apparently noticed it too, because she'd already walked over to it by the time he could say anything.

"What is this?" she asked, examining it. Takato, too, walked over and looked at it closely—it seemed to be a swirl of white and grey, although it strained his eyes to look at because it was so small—

—but when Jeri squeaked and jumped back from it, Takato began to worry even more.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I'm fine." Jeri said, examining her hand, which bore two small red marks on her thumb and index finger. "It got hot." She began looking on the ground to find it, but Takato was busy occupying himself with accepting the fact that when she let go, it didn't fall, and it simply hovered where she'd left it.

"What is this?" Rika asked finally.

"It's a data container." Renamon concluded. "Let me try to access its contents." The yellow fox walked towards it, holding one finger on top of it for a few seconds, her eyes closed gently. And she soon took a step backwards, as the orb floated a few feet away from them, before stretching into a giant, flat white oval. Because of the light it gave off, it hurt for Takato to look directly at, but he couldn't help but stare.

"What's happening?" Ryo asked, taking a step backwards.

"Shh…" Cyberdramon hushed, still staring at the oval.

As his eyes adjusted to it, Takato saw that the oval was actually a screen, and he began to notice something becoming clearer on it.

"It's a recording." Renamon announced.

"Did Henry beat us here?" Will asked desperately.

"No," Takato whispered, not knowing how he knew, or why he believed it. "This is something else."

The figure on the screen cleared to become a human figure, a man—

—_no, that's not a human_—

—Takato then noticed the four angelic wings sprout from the man's back. It wasn't a human, it was an Angemon. The screen displayed him entirely, fitting his head at the top and his feet at the bottom, with nothing cut off. He simply stared back at Takato and his friends, a gentle smile on his face.

"Takato…"

Takato nearly jumped at the mention of his name. The sound didn't seem to be coming from the screen, but from all around him…it was coming through so clearly he could have sworn that the being who was speaking was inside his head.

_How does it know my_—

Takato looked around to his friends, who stared at him with as much confusion on their faces as Takato had on his. At least until the recording spoke again.

"Rika," the angel continued. "Ryo, Jeri, Kazu, William, Renamon, Guardramon, Cyberdramon… and Guilmon…" Angemon went on. Takato again looked to them, although the ones who looked the most shocked were Will and Cronus. But still, nobody spoke, as they stared at the angelic figure.

"The leader of the Sovereign, Fanglongmon, is dead."

_What_…?

Takato's mouth opened slightly, as if to speak, but he couldn't find his voice. Angemon's expression then changed to sorrow, as if he was breaking some bad news to children—Takato almost pinpointed it to when his parents told him there wasn't a Tooth Fairy. Angemon sighed, dropping his gaze for a moment, before looking back up.

"My _purpose_, as the guardian of the Core, was to protect the power that shields this world from yours—to protect us from the humans. However, the threat to our world did not come from _your_ world, but from our own...so when a great evil arose from the digital world itself, I was unable to do anything—at least from this place."

As Angemon spoke, the screen flashed, showing recordings of battles. On the screen, many were being killed, the victors absorbing the data of the defeated. Takato didn't need to look to Jeri to know what expression was on her face. He didn't dare speak though. as to not risk missing hearing anything.

"I knew I had little time before the Hour of the Beast, and when I attempted to leave enough power here to maintain the barrier between our worlds, I faltered, and I had inadvertently left my memories here as well—I was thrown from this place, but not as Fanglongmon…I became a being known as Patamon."

_He gave up his power. Like Guilmon did was he chose to be human._

The screen faded to show the image of a small light-brown digimon, being carried by a smiling blonde boy no older than Suzi.

"That's—" Jeri gasped, as Takato realized it too.

_Reed._

But she didn't speak his name because Angemon went on.

"With no memories, I had no idea of who I was or what I was meant to do, but I found purpose in protecting a boy named TK."

_Reed's real name…?_

What appeared next was a standoff between several children and a cloaked humanoid digimon—but the image quickly flashed to show a similar battle with more Tamers against the same villain. Takato recognized some of the children in the first scene as younger versions of the ones who appeared in the second, and he wondered just how long this battle was.

"With TK, and with the help of many brave young humans and digital monsters such as yourselves, we were able to save both worlds from certain destruction. It was not until my final evolution that I regained my memories of ever being Fanglongmon. But I know now that I will not survive long enough to ever meet you—I have seen the end of my life, and it will be in the pursuit of a good cause, and it will be of my own choice."

A quick glance backwards showed pure shock on the faces of Rika, Ryo, Kazu, Jeri, and Will, while there was nothing but despair on those of Cronus, Renamon, Guardramon, and Cyberdramon.

"My only regret is that I will not be able to be here for all of you to offer my help. I have not seen how this conflict will play out, but I know all of you very well, and I have the utmost confidence that you can protect these fragile worlds of ours. Please know that I love you all, and that what I do now is to ensure that you will stand where you are as you watch this. This battle will not be easy, and there will be many tragic losses on both sides…but if you persevere, then the Destroyer will not achieve victory…the essence of our very history…the lives of our children, the blood of our worlds—all of this, I entrust to you. You are our last and only hope."

With that, Angemon bowed his head in the instant before the recording stopped, and the oval screen snapped back into its pearl-sized form, which dropped to the floor, and nobody dared to touch.

"The guardian is dead." Renamon said, dropping to her knees. Rika draped an arm around her, but didn't say anything—hell, she probably didn't know what to say. Takato sure didn't.

"We're on our own." Jeri murmured.

"How can we possibly stop this…?" Cronus asked quietly to nobody in particular.

All of their faces displayed the same expression of fear, disappointment, and despair. He could tell just from a split-second glance into their eyes that they felt that their entire mission has been a lost cause—that it had been for nothing. Takato didn't know what to tell them…they all looked so broken—no, only almost all.

"Well, what really changed just now?" Takato looked up as Will's voice, curious as to what would cause the timid boy to speak up.

"What?" Renamon asked him, nearly offensively. "The guardian of our world is _dead_. And Henry is—"

"The Destroyer was afraid of the Sovereign, right?" Will interrupted. "But Fanglongmon's the ruler of the Sovereign, so he's the most powerful of them, right? So if _he_ has faith in you guys, then what reason is there to be so afraid?"

_He's got a point_.

"He was talking to you, too." Takato said to Will. "Fanglongmon, or Angemon, or whoever believes in you just as much as he does us. You're a part of this, too." Typically, whenever Takato said anything nice to Will, he just smiled, but while that didn't exactly make him frown, he knew that Will was still absorbing it.

"We've still got the Circle, and probably the majority of the digital world fighting on our side." Kazu noted. "It's a fair bet that even with all the power the Destroyer has, we'll still be able to give him a run for his money."

Throughout this, Rika nor Ryo had spoken, but Ryo spoke to Will then.

"You're smarter than you look." Ryo said with a small smile. "He's right. Even if has more power than Reed did with the Sovereign's abilities, we can still do this."

"It's not like our odds against the D-Reaper were any better, and we kicked its ass plenty." Rika added. "A bad guy with a few tricks won't stand a chance against all of us."

"The Guardian…he really believed in us?" Renamon asked, hope returning to her voice.

"Takato?" Jeri asked, flashing him an encouraging smile.

"Yes he did." Takato answered. "He gave up a lot just for us to get that message. We have to try. We can do it, I know we can—we can beat the Destroyer, we can save the barrier, and we can get Henry back."

He looked at his friends, and he knew that they were with him…he looked at Jeri, the redheaded angel of his own for whom he was fighting. He looked then to Ryo, then to Will, then to Cyberdramon, Renamon, then to Rika—all of whom he knew were ready to continue with the mission. Then he looked to Cronus.

"Cronus?" Takato asked. Cronus was still bearing the expression of pure hopelessness—his mouth was partially open, and his eyes were watery. It took a few seconds after Takato called his name before he actually looked. "What do you think?"

Cronus looked at him, and closed his mouth for a second before he opened it to speak. "You can't."

_What_?

"Huh?" Takato was confused. "I can't what?"

Instead of an answer, what Takato immediately got was a quiet laugh from Cronus that increased in volume. The others all stared at him in disbelief, as did Takato.

"You think we can fight the power of the Destroyer?" Cronus asked, still laughing. "With _what_? We've had trouble with nearly every fight we've had since we got here! And now that Henry's—no…no. This fight would be suicide. I hate the Destroyer—I hate Henry for what he's done but I—but I'm not strong enough to beat him. Not yet."

By the end Cronus had stopped laughing, but instead looked very contemplative before looking sorrowful. He stepped forward, to the middle of the room.

"I'm so sorry, Takato…and all of you." He planted his feet on the ground and spread his arms out sideways, his back to the Tamers.

"Cronus, what—" Takato asked, taking a step forward. But before his foot could touch the ground, he was pushed backwards by an invisible force. Not just him, though—everyone else was sent backwards to the ground, and Cronus became enveloped in a bright red light. Ryo was nearly thrown _off _the platform, though he'd managed to grab onto the ledge. Takato crawled over and pulled him up, but then turned to stare at the red light. It grew in intensity, and as it did, Renamon, Guardromon, and Cyberdramon screamed. Everyone but Takato rushed to them, but they didn't seem able to do anything to help.

"Cronus!" Takato called.

The light dimmed, then changed from red to white, and Cronus stood where he did before, glowing. He looked at Takato with white eyes, sorrowfully.

"I won't let him win, Takato." With that, and a flash of light, Cronus was gone.

"Where did—what just happened?" Ryo asked.

It wasn't until then that Takato knew himself. "He just claimed the power of Fanglongmon."

"What—why did he…?" Jeri stammered.

"He's gonna track down the Destroyer—track down Henry." Rika answered.

"Will he be alright?" Will asked.

"No." Takato whispered. Back when Takato first saw Cronus in his human form, even though he had power, he had no idea how to control it—how to use it. But with all the power he just took…

Takato's line of thought was interrupted by the ground shaking.

"Uh, this isn't good." Ryo noted, steadying Rika, who nearly fell.

"What's happening?" Will asked, looking around desperately.

"Cronus just took all the power that keeps this place stable." Rika explained without looking at him.

"What about the barrier to separate both worlds?" Jeri asked.

"We have the technology to keep them protected from each other back at Hypnos, Yamaki should be able to take care of it, he has before—but I have no idea for how long." Ryo said as the noise intensified.

"We've got to get out of here." Renamon declared before ushering Rika, Ryo, and Will onto the lift. Cyberdramon followed with Kazu and Guardromon. Takato was too busy staring at where Cronus had been standing, and Takato probably would have stayed there had Jeri not pulled him towards the lift forcefully.

Giant stone pieces of rubble began collapsing all around him, one shattering where he stood instants ago.

"Takato!" Rika said to him as they stepped on the lift, which began to move.

Ryo had jumped off of the lift, dashed past Takato, and grabbed the small white orb that had the message recorded on it. He grabbed hold of Takato on his way back, staring him in the face as the stones came down harder and more frequently.

"Takato, we gotta _go_!"

_Go where_?

* * *

_Damn it._

Ryo nearly threw Takato onto the lift, grunting as he grabbed hold of the side, Cyberdramon pulling him up as it lifted. Rubble was falling everywhere—if one fell on the lift…

_No._

Ryo wasn't ready to die just yet, and there was absolutely no other way out of the chamber they were in. Ryo looked to the pearl-like object he held in his hand. He'd had to go back for it—he knew it might be important.

The implications of it ran through his mind and overwhelmed him. So many digimon were offended by the mere thought of being in the presence of the Guardian—how would they react if Ryo had to tell them that the truth about the Guardian? It would be chaos. The situation had to be handled exactly right. Nobody could know what had happened to Fanglongmon—at least not yet.

The lift continued to rise smoothly, and after a few painfully intense minutes, they were back in the Atlas tower, about three-quarters up. They were in the room where Will, Giz, and Wisemon had done so much work. Sure enough, the two digimon were still in the room when they arrived.

"What the hell is going on?" Giz demanded.

Ryo rushed off of the lift that had opened through the wall, and looked around. There was still some shaking, but not as much as there had been underground.

The other Tamers stepped off the lift too, Jeri helping Takato, who seemed almost catatonic.

"Cronus absorbed all the power underneath the city, and took off to take on Henry." Kazu explained quickly.

Giz looked nervous, but then Ryo noticed the small digimon's body tense up entirely.

"Will…" Giz said suddenly. Horror swept his small face as he turned anxiously to Will. The boy perked up. "Get to your computer—now."

_What…?_

Will didn't question it, and Ryo saw him rush to the side of the room where his computer was still set up. His brother hit some buttons. Ryo stared out the giant window—he thought he saw something. A bright white light in the distance, it seemed to be growing.

"What—what is this?" Will was staring at the computer, not the light. Only Rika and Jeri seemed to notice the phenomenon in the distance.

"Will?" Jeri asked anxiously.

"Ryo…!" Will called, as Ryo tore his gaze away from the light and rushed over. Ryo stared at the screen, but it was all just numbers and letters that didn't seem to have any pattern to him.

"What?" Ryo asked frantically. "I don't know what any of this means!"

"Ryo, there's a massive amount of energy way off northwest of here, and it's gathering at an exponential rate…"

"Is it Cronus?" Jeri asked.

"No." Will answered. "It's something else, but I can't—"

"Giz," Ryo turned to his friend. "Find the Circle, tell them to gather the army again—"

"Oh, God!" Will whispered, clearly horrified, his eyes widening.

Ryo, Jeri, and Rika all turned back to the window, and saw that the light suddenly flashed away—

"It's _firing!_" Will suddenly shouted, the room falling silent.

—and then reappeared, growing brighter and brighter as it moved closer. Giz rushed over to Will's side.

"Twenty seconds to impact." The digimon at his side reported. "Eighteen seconds. Sixteen, fifteen…"

_Oh my God…_

The countdown continued. There wasn't even time to get off of the floor, let alone out of the tower.

"What do we do?" Kazu was the one who spoke.

"Fourteen, thirteen…"

"Will…" Rika said anxiously.

"Shield?" Ryo asked, remembering that Will had mentioned that he'd finally managed to get it working.

"I'm trying…" he said as he typed frantically

"Twelve seconds. Ten, nine…"

"Will…!" Ryo repeated Rika, louder, his view switching back and forth from Will to the light.

Will suddenly spun around to see a series of white rings surround the city, and bright bue light filling the gaps. Ryo felt safe, but only for a second—because a second later, they flickered and disappeared.

_Seven…_

"What?" Will cried in shock, staring at the computer.

"There's not enough power for it. Cronus absorbed so much." Giz suddenly said.

_Four…_

Ryo's jaw dropped, and he turned to see his friends. Takato was the only one staring back at him.

"Order an evactuation." Ryo barked. "_Now!_"

_Three…_

Will hit a switch, jamming his headset on. "Attention, everybody—abandon—"

_Two…_

Takato finally spoke. "Hope…!"

Ryo didn't get a chance to turn around to see the impact, but he blacked out nearly instantly. All he could hear before was Rika screaming at him to get down.

* * *

Okay, well, that's the finale of what's pretty much the first part of the story. If there's enough interest, there'll be a big second order of chapters (at least 16, like this series has been), and if there's not, there'll be an epilogue few chapters wrapping it up quickly for those who liked it. Either way, thanks for reading this far, review and let me know what you think/thought!

As for Reed/TK, there's been a _few _hints on who he was, but they were forgettable. In Chapter 4, he told Jeri that he was only eight when he first came to the digital world. When he was loopy at the start of that chapter, she asked his name, and he answered with "Tak(eru)…", but Jeri thought he was, for some reason, talking about Takato. In Chapter 12, Jeri found a statue of Reed, with the inscription, "He brought us Hope" (his crest). I kept these to a minimum, because I still wanted it to be a surprise when you found out in this chapter. Example, with the statues, it was gonna have a 'girl-with-brown-hair' statue with it, and the inscription woulda said something about Hope and Light. Too easy.

Further implications you can draw from this, is that in Chapter 21, he said that Carter was his brother's son. This, of course, is Matt. I mentioned a while back that I was considering posting a five-chapter story detailing TK's progression from TK to Reed. It's actually mostly written, but I might just salvage the good parts into flashbacks for future chapters. Anyways, in it, I was going to really obviously awkward lengths to avoid saying who Carter's mother was, but there were only so many instances where I could say "Matt's girlfriend" or "her", so I'm just going to apologize to all the Matt-Mimi fans, and go with Sora. What else…that friend' back home Reed mentioned in Chapter 13, that uses the Delta codename who he talked to in 17 is Davis. The 'pretty girl with brown hair'/'love of his life' on the swing is Kari, obviously.

Now, age issues. Let me give some details about TK/Reed's story, "Power Player". At the start, TK/Kari are almost 16, Matt/Sora are 18. The early bits are going to be about TK trying to hold his family together during Matt/Sora's teenage pregnancy.

Okay, it obviously isn't a spoiler that they eventually have the baby, so TK's 16 now, and Matt's 19.

On the 'slide-picture' (Carter on the slide, Reed going to catch him), Carter is 3. TK's almost 20 now, and Ryo's 16 (this is right before he meets up with the Tamers in the series. For perspective, in about a week, he's going to have his memory wiped, and go meet up with the Tamers just in time to see Rika biomerge for the first time).

This story is two and a half years past that. So, Ryo's about to turn 18, and TK's just past 22.

It's a pretty safe assumption that if this story goes on, characters from 02 won't be 'regulars', aside from Reed/TK. Eventually, though, Cronus (modeled after Carter, remember) will want to meet his biological parents. There may or may not be an event that ruins Hypnos. If it does, their new contact/consultant in the real world will either be Davis or Kenta.

So yeah. I'll admit I'm pretty glad that I don't have to hide the fact that Reed is actually TK anymore. :P

Review!

- N


	23. Aftermath

Thanks for all the reviews, messages, and e-mails!

So, I was thinking about uploading this chapter as a new story altogether, but figured I might as well just keep everything together. Either way, this is the first chapter in the second part of the story.

I'll tell ya now, this story isn't set to have many characters cross over aside from Reed (TK) and Delta (Davis). I've got a really badass scene involving Matt, but that's a ways off.

I'm revising the Reed/TK-centric-fic. What I'd already written was a little too heavy on the TK-Kari-romance, and as much as I like them as a couple, they're not what that story should be about. TK's mindset is gonna have some similarities to Ryo's, and how he's always trying to do whatever he can to protect his brother; except it's gonna be different because TK's the one who's always been protected by Matt. Some of the major themes in it are gonna include TK's life as a child of divorced parents, his relationship with Kari (still gonna be there, I'm just gonna tone it down some), his trying to help Matt who doesn't admit to wanting help, and TK's sudden overwhelming compulsion to protect his nephew at all costs (everything he's done in this story's been for Carter's sake).

So yeah, this chapter's going to shed some light on Kazu in addition to the main story. It's something that's been long overdue, but wouldn't have worked in the first part of the story because of where that part of the story was set. This chapter's a little bit all-over-the-place—it's set two days after Chapter 22, and the gaps are filled in as each character thinks back on it. Anyways, enjoy, and review!

- N

Happy graduation, takari freek!

* * *

Takato took a slow step, as if he'd forgotten how to use his legs. He damn near had, after what had happened in the digital world. He could still hear it—the screaming, the noise, the—

_No. It's not worth remembering._

He was home. They all were. That was what was important. It was strange, though…

_I spent so many weeks missing this place—now I barely recognize it._

Two days ago, he just wanted to come home. Now he was there—he thought he'd have felt different, but he didn't…because his home wasn't the same anymore.

_Because _he's_ not here…_

It wasn't Takato's room that he paced across so slowly, it was _his_. Cronus's—it looked so—_normal_. Well, maybe not for the _typical_ teenage boy—it was rather organized—but still normal. Takato glanced around, a thousand memories coming back to him. On the bookshelf, there was a bunch of things Cronus had tried out when he and Takato were trying to figure out what he might do for fun. Takato saw a piece of paper crumpled in the corner of the shelf. His curiosity forced him to pick it up and unfold it.

It was a piece of sheet music, though most of it was empty. It had originally been a blank piano score, but Cronus had scribbled some notes in. Takato recalled him listening to songs over and over, trying to figure out if he could copy it successfully. It looked like he'd made it through several bars, but Takato himself had no idea what song it was. In either case, it reminded Takato of the sheet music on the wall—Takato's parents had had some printed and framed for Cronus as a gift shortly after he started living there. Nocturne in G Minor—something he listened to when he was drawing. The vent in Cronus's room went straight up two floors to Takato's—he would listen to it all the time. Takato didn't play the piano, but he'd heard Cronus listen to that song enough times that even he was able to recognize the notes on the paper behind the glass.

He folded the one in his hand neater than Cronus had, and placed it back on the shelf, glancing at the next item. A small stuffed animal, no larger than Takato's fist. They'd spent a solid hour at one of those crappy play-'til-you-win Crane Games. They weren't sure if they were just terrible at it, or if the machine itself was bad, but neither of them had wanted the four tokens to go to waste. The prize they'd eventually fluked into was a hideous stuffed kitten, most of the tail and one of its ears had been torn off by the machine—they had both thought it was funny, and kept it for a laugh.

But Takato wasn't smiling.

He hesitated slightly, looking around the room again. Desk. Clothes. Baseball cap. Page-a-day-calendar. Beanbag chair. Sunglasses. Normal room, belonging to a normal person.

A sigh, and he looked back towards the shelf, knowing it would just depress him further. Movie stubs. Some notes Rika had passed him in the chemistry class they'd shared. An Ethernet coupler from when Takato hadn't measured properly, and thought the cable wouldn't reach Cronus's desk. Stress ball. Refrigerator magnets.

The room had looked so neat that Takato had forgotten how much of a pack-rat Cronus was. He never wanted to throw anything that might last away—at first, Takato had thought that it was because he'd only recently become human, and it was about him trying to hold onto his memories. After a while, Takato had just forgotten about it entirely.

Whether or not they were meant to be Cronus's memories, they were Takato's memories, too.

His old D-Arc was on the shelf, but he didn't pick it up. There was no reason to—it wasn't _his_ anymore. After he'd first learned that Cronus was Guilmon, he'd given it to him. Takato had known how much pain Cronus had been in, trying to learn who he was—Takato had hoped that it might have helped. As far as he could tell at the time, it had helped.

They'd survived, after all.

Takato reached for something he recognized very well—a sketchbook.

It had been the book Takato had drawn in for years—even pictures he'd drawn in class or elsewhere were most likely glued in some page or another. He opened it, and of course, there was his original drawing of Guilmon on the inside cover. He could see his work get progressively better as he turned the pages. Mostly cartoons; digimon, animals, people.

About two-thirds through, though, there was a huge increase in quality—when Takato had given it to Cronus. At first, Takato had been astonished to see that his friend was so artistically gifted. Cronus never seemed proud of it, though…he said he could only draw what he'd seen—in fact, he'd told Takato that he was jealous that Takato could at least be creative when he drew.

Takato kept looking through Cronus's drawings. They were so detailed, lifelike. Most of the pages had a photograph clipped to the corner, which is what he'd have used for reference. There was a picture of their house, the school…he turned the page again to see a picture of Takato and Jeri together, Jeri giving him a kiss on the cheek, and Takato grinning. The drawing that accompanied it was amazing. One of the reasons Takato rarely drew people was that he couldn't draw faces, but Cronus could. Both he and Jeri looked just as they did in the photograph—the picture wasn't finished, though, there wasn't any background, and he hadn't gotten around to drawing the legs.

A part of Takato's frustration was that he didn't know _how_ to feel about what had happened—about what Cronus had done. Gratitude? Sadness? Anger?

He still couldn't believe _what_ Cronus had done. Takato loved him like a brother—no, they _were_ brothers.

But as well as Takato had known Cronus, in the weeks that had passed before, he seemed to know him less and less. Takato had any idea what Cronus's motivations had been for doing what he did—he'd _drained_ the digital world. The power of the Guardian—he'd taken it for himself, and ran off in search of the Destroyer. Of Henry.

Takato'd barely spoken in the past two days. His parents had asked Jeri if he'd suffered brain damage when she'd brought him home. The others had called for him, but Takato had unplugged the phone in his room, and asked his parents to pass on the message that he wasn't feeling well. It wasn't like it was a lie—he _didn't_ feel well. It was most likely partially due to the fact that all he'd eaten was three cookies and a glass of water, and he had barely slept, regardless of how tired he was.

Takato closed the book, putting it back on the shelf. He just felt drained.

_Like the digital world._

Cronus had taken so much power—even if he could contain it, Cronus would have no idea how to use it. Not like the Destroyer knew how to use _its_ power.

_Two days._

For all Takato knew, Cronus was dead already.

* * *

Ryo had apparently fallen asleep during the movie. It wasn't boring or anything, but he was tired. Or maybe it was the concussion. Or the really comfy couch. Or the fact that Rika was next to him. Who knew? He woke up as the credits were rolling. He was laying on the couch, his back to its back. Rika, too, was laying on it, her back to his chest. They'd spent longer deciding which movie to watch than Ryo had been awake for, which he found somewhat amusing.

Nothing had seemed—appropriate to watch. Clearly, neither was in the mood for a comedy. Or anything particularly depressing. Or an action flick where everyone was dying left and right. They'd settled on a sci-fi movie. Rika had teased him at first, but he talked her inner-nerd into agreeing to it, and she'd been just as excited as he had been.

He couldn't tell if she was asleep or not, but he didn't want to move. If things could just have stayed like that, Ryo would be fine. He knew they'd have to move _eventually_, but he could dream, couldn't he?

He'd spent most of the last two days drifting between his apartment and Rika's house. The three most important people in his life were Will, Rika, and Takato. But since his best friend wasn't taking calls, Ryo was leaving him to Jeri. Ryo still cared, of course, and he spoke with Jeri frequently to make sure Takato was doing alright, but—but still…

Obviously, what Cronus had done had hurt Takato more than anyone. At first, Ryo had been really worried about how Will had handled it—he knew that his brother looked up to Cronus. But whatever Will was feeling, he clearly wasn't ready to talk to Ryo about it. Apparently that was something that was going around—Rika, too, changed topics quickly whenever he mentioned it.

He'd noticed she'd been on edge since they'd learned the truth about Henry, and how close Rika herself had come to being the Destroyer's host. She acted like they'd never been in the digital world at all. Like everything was fine. Maybe she was just trying to make Ryo's own recovery easier.

_It was just a knock on the head. I've had worse._

Will had devoted his time obsessing over Reed—or TK, or whoever that was. He was determined to find out the answers Ryo had wanted back in the digital world, about how Reed knew Ryo, and why Ryo had no memory of it. Ryo had told Will not to worry about it, that it wasn't his problem to deal with, but the boy had seemed hurt.

Ryo'd thought it had been his wording, so he'd explained himself again about wanting to focus on what's happening now, instead of what's happened years ago. It had quickly escalated into an argument about Will feeling useless. It took every bit of restraint for Ryo to not blurt out that he was hiding Will's own D-Arc.

He loved his brother—everything that Reed had done for his nephew, Ryo himself would do in a heartbeat for Will's safety. He couldn't stand the thought of Will hating him-for hiding the D-Arc, or whenever Ryo would finally tell him the truth about their mother—but he couldn't stand the thought of Will in battle either.

He felt Rika stir when the movie returned to its menu screen, the music shifting to something upbeat.

"What'd you think?" he asked with a grin, now aware she'd been asleep.

"Mmm?" she murmured. "It was good." She added, barely coherent through the yawn that accompanied it.

"I thought the part with the drug-dealing chimpanzee to be a little weird." He tried.

"Yeah." She mumbled. Ryo timed it at ten full seconds before she lazily reached behind her head to give him a gentle slap on the cheek, realizing her error. "Smartass."

He still had his arms around her, one over, one under. The one under was basically asleep itself, but he didn't mind too terribly.

Ryo felt her shifting around, and he realized she was turning to face him. Her eyes were still all squinty, but she wore a faint smile, that was only a few inches away from his own.

How could he resist?

He kissed her quickly while she didn't see it coming, then made a face at her after she'd opened her eyes. She pushed him in the chest playfully.

"So I was thinking," Ryo started.

"Amazing." Rika interrupted, yawning again.

"Thanks, but it gets even better." Ryo went on. "I was thinking that once we go back to the digital world, we should bring some stuff to defend ourselves with. I mean, Hypnos probably wouldn't give us anything other than those dart guns that we broke, but I figure that at this point even something like a baseball bat could make all the difference."

Rika didn't answer, but he knew she wasn't asleep, because her eyes were open. She wasn't looking at him, but he wasn't sure what she was thinking about.

Ryo hesitated. "Bad idea?"

Again, Rika didn't say anything.

"Rika?"

She finally looked at him, but still, she didn't speak.

"What's wrong?" he asked, brushing some of her hair out of her face.

"No, it's a good idea." She said quietly.

He waited, but he knew he'd have to push for it. "But?" he asked slowly.

She sighed, sitting up, fixing her hair herself. "No, it's nothing. Forget about it."

Rika walked to the TV, and turned it off before she ejected the disc from the player and returned it to its case. "Are you hungry?" she asked casually.

Ryo might have dropped it if the situation was different. She'd been groggy after all. But her face had turned red, so he knew that it was still on her mind.

"Rika, come on." He asked, sitting up. "That's not fair."

She took a deep breath.

"I don't think you should go back."

_What?_

He replayed the sound in his mind over and over.

_I—don't—think—you—should—go—back—I—don't—think—you—should—go—back—_

"…To the digital world, you mean." He asked, making sure he had his facts straight.

She nodded.

"And—you don't think that _I_ should go back. Me specifically?"

Another nod from Rika

He stood up and paced a few steps, hoping that it was really a secret code for 'maybe we should try watching that movie again', but there was just the one way to take it, and Ryo wasn't happy about it.

"Why?" he asked after a long silence. He was doing his best to pick his wording carefully, and the results were likely to be just choosing a few words at a time.

Rika put her hands on her face, her eyes scrunched shut. He could tell that she was thinking about regretting bringing the conversation up—and honestly, Ryo wished she hadn't.

"I just don't want anything to happen to you." She said, her eyes still closed.

He was glad she wasn't looking, because he knew that the expression on his face could only be classified as a cross between confusion and frustration. "I don't want anything to happen to you either, but I'm not going to make some ridiculous request because of it." He said.

She took her hands off of her face promptly, and Ryo realized he'd spoken with more attitude than he'd initially intended.

_This is why we pick our words carefully—remember?_

"'Ridiculous'?" Rika challenged, indignant. "You almost _died_—_how_ is that 'ridiculous'?"

_Well, word is that I _did_ die, but I'll just keep that quiet for now._

"I didn't mean _ridiculous_…" Ryo corrected himself, sighing. "But—how can you even ask me that? After everything we've gone through—everything we've seen—"

"I know, I know!" Rika said loudly, turning around, frustrated. "We're not _done_ yet—but every time I think about going back, I just keep thinking that you're going to get yourself hurt—or worse, _again. _ When you're trying to figure out what happened to you back then, and—"

_Back then._

Those three months he had missing from his memory—the time that Reed knew, and Ryo didn't. She thought that he was being irrational about it.

"I _need_ to find out what happened to me back then." Ryo said dryly. "I was working with Reed, and I _need_ to know what we were doing."

Ryo's head bobbed a little, and he tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. He had no idea what to say. Finally, he found _some_ words, even if they weren't what he was hoping for.

"I need to go." He snatched his car keys off the table and headed to the door of the room.

"Wh—what?" Rika stammered. "Ryo, I—"

His hand was on the doorknob, but he stopped to hear her out. She certainly deserved that much.

"I'm different than I was a few years ago. Because of you, and Renamon, and everyone, and now I just—I care about you so damn much, and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." Rika said quietly. But it was what came next that hit Ryo again. "I'd feel a lot safer knowing you were _here_, not there."

_Safer._

It might have been just a bad choice of wording, but Ryo was beyond frustrated at this point. He turned to her hard.

"If anything happened to you, Rika, it would kill me. It would absolutely tear me apart." He said with honesty. "But the reason we get along so well—or, _don't_ get along—is because we're both _fighters_. And unlike you, _I_'m not going to ask you to sit on the sidelines while the people I love are out fighting."

Rika scoffed at him.

"Right, right, that makes _total_ sense." She spat sarcastically. "'I _want_ the people I love in danger'. Yeah, real logical there. I fight because I _have_ to." Rika said flatly. "I fight so that other people _don't_ have to. To protect the things and the people that are important to me, and that includes you. If you don't get that—"

He shook his head to himself. He was starting to think the argument wasn't just that they were choosing their words poorly.

"No, I get it. But I don't want the people I love denying who they are." He said quietly, trying to sound calmer than he felt. It was what he believed. Cronus and Henry—they were both still in the digital world, and they were both in danger. How could _anyone_ possibly want to sit around, and—

"Do you love me, or not?" she asked suddenly. He met her eye.

_With all my heart_.

Of course, he didn't say it out loud—stupid voice of his didn't work when it was supposed to. Instead, Ryo said the next best thing—nothing. And he walked out the door, closing it behind him as he left.

He walked out of her house quickly, giving a friendly smile to Rika's grandmother on his way out, though it was fairly obvious something was wrong given the speed he was moving at. He shoved his feet into his shoes, the backs of them folding down under the heels of his feet uncomfortably, but they were on enough that he could walk with them, and he hurried outside and into his car.

Ryo concentrated on the mirror and the road, not allowing himself to look at the house, or any of its windows or doors. He needed space.

After turning the ignition, he backed out, and drove away. His heart was still racing, and his fingers wouldn't stop vibrating, and he felt like his body was punishing him for arguing with her. He knew that she was just trying to protect him, but the idea was so offensive and patronizing. It was as preposterous as if something had captured Renamon, and telling Rika to sit that one out. Good intentions, but just a bad idea.

_Maybe you're overreacting._

Ryo silently told his mind to take a hike, and hoped that his friends were having a better day than he was.

* * *

Kazu grit his teeth, in frustration and fury, as his back hit the wall hard. He could feel a trickle of blood run down his sleeve, but he didn't let the pain show. The corner of a table scraped against his back, but his resolve was stronger, and his expression didn't change.

"_Don't_ ever touch me again." He hissed dryly.

His father glared at him. "You _disappeared _for a _month_." He growled. "What the hell were you thinking?"

_Just saving the world, that's all._

It had been two days since Cronus drained the digital world of its power and went after Henry. Immediately after, Henry—the Destroyer—sent an attack on the city of Hyperion. But it hadn't been an army, like the first time, or one of his heralds, like Gigadramon. It had been an attack. Like a digimon's. Hypnos had pulled them out of the tower before they were crushed by it collapsing, and their wounds had been treated there.

Kazu slid his right hand behind himself, the blood of his popped stitch feeling increasingly more painful.

"You wouldn't understand." Kazu muttered in response.

"Your mother's been worried sick." His father barked.

He doubted that. His parents were both so self-involved that he was surprised they'd even notice he'd left, let alone come back.

His mother was crying on the other side of the room, but Kazu didn't care anymore. It was the typical situation during their regular domestic disturbances—Kazu hurt, his father responsible, his mother doing nothing to intervene. He hated her—hated both of them. But it was different that time—after everything that had happened in the digital world, Kazu was beyond caring if his family life was falling apart.

"Was all this worrying done after I told you I'd be gone?" He asked sarcastically. Nothing pissed them off more than Kazu keeping his head level while they both lost it. Kazu had many talents, and one of them was hiding how he was feeling. He knew they expected him to just break down and cry—no, they _wanted_ him to.

He _had_ told her, if only in passing. Not that he was going to the digital world, but that he'd be gone for a few weeks. He knew she hadn't been paying attention, though. Whatever.

"You never told me—" she protested.

"Your inability to listen to your children isn't my fault, and it isn't my problem." Kazu said clearly, flatly. It wasn't necessarily true. They were both typically nice enough to his bratty younger brother, Yagi, and relatively neutral to the middle child—his sister, Aya. Yagi was six, and hated Kazu with a vengeance—Yagi blamed Kazu for the constant fights. Aya was fourteen—old enough to understand the situation, but too young or scared to ever say anything. Aya, at least had Kazu's respect.

His parents were, admittedly, one of the reasons he did so well at school recently. He knew he couldn't depend on them for financial support after high school, so he studied. A lot. The better the scholarship, the farther away from them he could get.

Kazu kept one eye on his father, who he suspected would make a move.

Sure enough, he advanced on Kazu. Kazu backed up—not out of intimidation, but to have more room if he needed it.

"You apologize for that right now." He growled.

Kazu's head tilted to one side. "No."

Kazu's heart was racing, the adrenaline fueling him. However tired he was, he was alert—as alert as he'd been in all his fights in the digital world. He'd helped fight an army—helped fight Gigadramon…compared to that, dealing with an abusive bastard and an idiot was easy. He ducked his father's fist, and swung his elbow hard into his temple. His dad dropped to all fours—Kazu had to resist the urge to kick him while he was down.

Instead, he knelt down and spoke to the man—face to face.

"Just because I'm your son_ doesn't_ mean that I'm your _child_." Kazu said. "You won't hurt me _ever_ again."

He headed to the door—he wanted out of there. He'd said what he wanted to, and it was time to get to work. He still had things he had to do—things those two would never understand.

He could hear his mother shouting something incoherent again and again. It took a few times before he could actually understand what she was saying: "How could you do this to me?"

But in his spirit of honesty, he paused in front of the woman who stared at him through confused tears.

"Because you've been a horrible mother." He said simply.

He scooped up his backpack and threw it over his shoulder. The only one who knew about his problems with his family was Jeri. She'd told him he could crash with her and her dad if he ever needed to. Kazu wasn't sure how much Mr. Kato knew, but he probably suspected something, even if he never said it. Kazu was appreciative regardless.

"You fucking brats are all the same!" his dad yelled, standing up. Kazu glanced over his shoulder, ready to defend himself again if he needed to. "Don't you ever come back here!"

_All the same…?_

Kazu didn't quite understand the man's meaning. But if he were to pass up the opportunity to be a smartass, he just wouldn't be Kazu.

"This is between the three of us." Kazu said smugly. "Let's keep all the other fucking brats out of it."

His dad still had a hand at the side of his head, where Kazu had elbowed him. "Not like you could stop me." He muttered.

That was when Kazu understood what he meant—his sister. He was sure it was just his dad's anger—in the heat of the argument, or whatever—but Kazu turned around completely to clarify.

"If you want to come after me, then go for it." Kazu shrugged. "But touch Aya, and I'll kill you where you stand. Okay?"

Neither of them responded within the three second window Kazu gave them, so he turned and he left. After he was out the door, he could hear more shouting, but he couldn't quite understand what they were saying.

Regardless, he didn't look back.

* * *

"Hello, my name is William Connors, I'm—"

Will sighed as he heard a _click_ followed by a dial tone.

_That was rude._

He hung up the phone, and crossed another name off the list. As he stared at the paper, he frowned. The line he'd drawn was sloppy—he'd drawn it with his left hand.

He tried moving his right arm—it still hurt. The sling it was in was uncomfortable. He didn't like it. He was predominantly right-handed, and having to use his left was a royal pain.

Will's arm had been broken in two places when the tower had been attacked—he knew he was fortunate to have even survived—hell, they _all_ had been lucky. If Yamaki hadn't pulled them out, they might—

_No._

That wasn't something to be thinking about—he just had to be glad they'd all made it. Hypnos had pulled back all the humans, their partners, along with Giz and Calumon. Wisemon and the other members of the Circle were still in the digital world, but everyone said they'd survive it—and Will didn't think they were just patronizing him. Wisemon and the others were all smart enough to survive, he knew that.

After Henry—after the Destroyer sent that attack at the city, Yamaki had pulled them all out before the tower was destroyed completely. Had it happened five seconds sooner, there wouldn't have been any injuries at all, but—

_Oh, well._

He only had to wear the sling for a few weeks, it could be worse. Ryo had suffered a mild concussion, but he was up and running again already. Jeri'd sprained her left wrist, and broken two fingers on that hand. Kazu's right arm had been cut open by something in the explosion, and he needed a whole lot of stitches. Will asked him if they hurt, but Kazu just gave him a reassuring smile, and reminded him that 'chicks dig scars'.

Will dialed the next number on the list. "Hi, my name's Will Conn—"

"_Stop. Calling. Here._" A woman said, clearly irritated before she hung up. Will looked down at the list, frowning.

He _hadn't _called that number before, but he crossed it off. He realized they must have had more than one line at that house.

When Will was in the digital world with the others, he'd felt like there wasn't anything he couldn't do. But there was some kinds of research that he didn't have access to in the digital world.

He'd done a search for missing persons in the area—gone missing in the last four years, who fit the description Will had hoped for.

There was just one—Carter Ishida. There was even a phone number—but the family must have moved, because the people at that number had no idea who Will was talking about. So, he'd tried calling the agency that posted the notice, but they wouldn't give him any information about the family. He'd spent an hour arguing with the woman, Will insisting that he had information he could only divulge to the family.

The woman'd thought it had been a prank call, but Will had gotten her to blurt out a name in her frustration, which she immediately tried to cover up. "Look, _please_ pass this on to the family, alright?" Will had finally sighed. "Have them call me, I might have information regarding their son. You have my phone number on file?"

"Yes, and you'll be blocked from ever calling here aga—"

Will'd slammed the phone down then, irritating his arm in the process. But still, he'd gotten what he'd wanted. Sort of.

That call had been a day ago. Will had thought that a name would be enough for him to find what they needed, but it hadn't been.

There were a lot of Ishidas. He'd barely scratched the surface of the list. Unfortunately, since he was using a long-distance phone card, he had to dial twenty digits before he could actually enter a phone number. He didn't want their phone bill to shoot through the roof. He tried the next number.

"Hi, I'm looking for Matthew or TK Ishida?" Will said politely, crossing the fingers on his left hand, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder.

"Sorry, wrong number." A man replied.

"Alright, thanks for your time."

The man'd already hung up, and Will let the phone drop into his hand before hanging it up, sighing.

"How goes it?" a voice asked. Will turned around to see Kazu step into the room. Will had nearly forgot he'd buzzed him into the apartment building.

"Fantastic." Will lied, clearly unenthused. "There's several hundred people with the last name Ishida in Shinjuku alone—and a lot of _them_ have more than one phone line. And there's still so many other cities I haven't started in yet—Nakano, Chiyoda, Obaida—this is a haystack."

Kazu remained silent, and, surprising even Will, Will continued to vent.

"And even if this guy is _in_ one of these cities…that doesn't necessarily mean his phone number is _listed_, right? And even if he is, he might just even think I'm a telemarketer and hang up on me. And the name, or nickname, or whatever, for Reed? TK?" That could be a short-form for anything. Toolkit. Tomato ketchup. Thirty Kilograms. Tuesday Karaoke. _Anything_." Will went on, his face feeling flush. "And I don't know how we're supposed to—"

Will cut himself off suddenly, realizing how loudly he was talking. Kazu looked at him, apparently interested.

"Feel better?" Kazu asked.

He did.

"A little." He admitted.

"Good." Kazu nodded.

Will managed to hide his smile, before unintentionally having it replaced with distress. "Oh, I'm sorry—" he babbled. "Ryo's not here, he's at Rika's house."

He'd meant to tell him over the intercom before he'd troubled Kazu with either all those stairs or the slow-as-hell elevator, but he'd buzzed him in by reflex.

"Uh, okay." Kazu didn't seem to care. "Actually, I'm here to see you."

Will was confused. "Me?"

Kazu nodded. "Do you know how to give stitches? For an injury?"

He bit his lip. "No, why?" he asked.

Kazu looked embarrassed. "Uh, don't worry about it."

Will wasn't sure what was going on, but he was also too afraid to ask. Kazu filled the gap of silence.

"I was gonna go visit Guardromon over at Hypnos. Come with."

Will looked at the page of phone numbers, a third of them crossed off. Only sixty-six percent left of that page, and then a few more dozen pages underneath that one. Kazu was right—he _did_ need a break, and visiting Giz might make him feel better. He'd spent the last few days trying to find out who the hell Reed really was, and the search was fruitless. He was curious how Giz and the others were doing, though…

"Okay." Will said finally.

* * *

The lunchroom was mostly empty—probably because it wasn't lunchtime. Jeri didn't mind the quiet too terribly, though. Wireless Internet, plenty of table-space, and free snacks. Special treatment at Hypnos had its benefits.

She'd been trying to catch up on her schoolwork. Actually, she'd been trying to distract herself, so she'd started her assignments as a means of doing that. It had been relatively successful—the work itself was getting done, but Jeri was still thinking about everything that had happened.

Reed _had_ been a good guy after all. Not only that, but his partner, the one he'd said had been killed, had been the Guardian that they'd been looking for. And after Cronus had taken all of its power—

Jeri glanced to her left hand, still in an uncomfortable brace with two splints running along the two fingers she'd broken. Jeri was an excellent typist—well, when she could use all her fingers she was, anyways. Fortunately, most of the work she was supposed to be doing was reading, so she didn't have any essays to type out or anything.

She jumped in surprise when she heard a horrible growling sound, only to realize that it was her cell phone vibrating against the table.

_Every single time._

She mentally slapped herself for not remembering, and tried to regain her composure so that she didn't sound strange.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Jeri?" a girl asked.

"Hey Mala." Jeri sat up, letting her book close, losing her page.

She'd been told about Henry, even if Hypnos hadn't. Takato had told her himself—it was one of the first things he did when they got back. Jeri knew it must have been hard for him—hard for both of them, so she didn't ask about it. Not that she didn't care, but she didn't want to push him into talking about something he didn't want to. Then again, it seemed like nobody cared much for talking lately.

"I was wondering if you could tell me how—" Mala started

"—I'm at Hypnos right now." Jeri interrupted her.

She wasn't entirely sure what Mala was going to ask, but Hypnos didn't know about Henry, and they didn't know about Cronus. If Mala was going to ask about them, they'd have to meet elsewhere, where there would be no chance of someone listening in. Mala knew that—she was the only person the Tamers had been totally honest with outside of each other and Takato's parents. But Mala knew that they were keeping Hypnos in the dark. For Cronus's sake, and for Henry's.

"Really?" Mala sounded surprised. "Me too. Where are you?"

"Lunchroom." Jeri replied. There was a second of silence. "Third floor?"

"Ah, okay." Mala answered. "Be right down."

Jeri clicked her phone shut, remembering to change it off of vibrate before she set it on the table again.

She pulled the lid off of a creamer and poured the contents into her coffee. She stirred it, but it didn't mix properly, little pockets of white floating in with the beige. She looked around for the small container again, and read that it had expired a week ago.

_Fantastic._

She picked up the white styrofoam cup and dropped it into the garbage pail upright, coffee still inside it. She walked slowly back to her seat, not sure of what to say to Mala when she arrived. She and Henry had become very close in the months since he'd helped save her from the digital world. Not only that, she was also Cronus's first real friend. They'd always been friendly towards each other, but hadn't actually hung out much with just the two of them there.

Still, if there was something Jeri could do to help give the girl some peace of mind, she'd do it. After all Mala had been through, she certainly deserved it.

After walking to the drink dispenser, she decided against trying for another coffee. She hit the button for a hot chocolate, and the machine beeped, demanding payment. Jeri took a card out of her wallet and swiped it through the reader. She was pretty sure that Yamaki hadn't given those cards to all of the Tamers, but she knew that he'd at least given one to her, one to Takato, and one to Henry.

The drink poured into the cup, and she looked at it suspiciously as she walked back to her table.

"Hey." Mala called, stepping in.

"Hey Mala," Jeri replied with a smile.

Mala was wearing a collared white dress shirt, with a formal-looking black jacket over it, and a skirt to go with it. Her long brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, and her heels clicked as she walked across the hard floor. Mala was—at least Jeri thought—a year younger than Jeri or Takato were, but the way she was dressed, she looked a good three or four years older. She looked great.

"Wow." Jeri exclaimed, impressed. "Look at you."

Mala made a little grimace, before giving a smile. "Thanks. What are you up to?"

Jeri indicated her homework. "School—trying to, anyways."

Mala nodded. "Yeah, you've all been gone so long…" she trailed off.

Jeri looked at her sympathetically, unsure of what to say. Takato had left her out of the team because he didn't think she'd be at all interested in returning to the digital world after having been trapped there for a year. It was one of the things she knew Takato was kicking himself over, because if she'd been there, she might have noticed that Henry—

"So, um…" Jeri started, trying unsuccessfully to sound comfortable. "What were you wanting to ask?"

Mala seemed pretty uncomfortable herself. "I was wondering how Takato's doing. I've tried calling a half-dozen times, and when I stopped by, his parents just said he wasn't taking visitors."

Jeri frowned inwardly. "He's—overwhelmed with everything that's happened."

Mala nodded. "I get that."

Jeri'd spent both nights and the day between since they got back at Takato's house, and it was the most quiet she'd ever seen him. It was like he wasn't even himself anymore, and it was killing Jeri to see him like that—because she didn't have any idea what she could do to help.

"I've been meaning to ask…" Mala started carefully. "What Cronus did—what exactly happened to him beforehand? Nobody's—nobody's talking about it…"

Jeri sighed, not sure of even where to begin. "Well, after we got to the digital world, he didn't get any of the—abilities he had back when he, Takato, and yourself were there. But he said—he said that the more he felt, the _worse_ he felt. We found out that the part of him that was human was conflicting with the part of him that was digital, and that it was killing him." Jeri said, staring at a stein on the table. "That was eventually fixed, and shortly after we met a girl named Adrie who'd fallen into the digital world, and he—he cared about her a lot." Jeri trailed off.

Mala looked distraught. "…And something happened to her?"

Jeri nodded slowly.

"She's dead." She finished carefully. She didn't say that Cronus had been the one to do it—because it would eventually lead to her saying that Henry had been the one who had put Adrie in that position.

There were a few quiet seconds before Mala spoke again. "Takato said that he found out where he—came from, so to speak?"

"Yeah." Jeri confirmed. "The program that turned him human modeled him after a boy named Carter. Apparently he was the first and only human born in the digital world."

Mala just lowered her gaze to the table, seemingly processing everything. She had known Cronus a few months longer than Takato had, and was the first to defend him whenever he was accused of being responsible for what he wasn't. Jeri knew that Mala was hurting for Cronus, as well as worrying for Henry. It must have been as hard on her as it was on Takato.

Jeri scratched the back of her head, wanting to change the subject. "So why are you all dressed up? You look great."

Mala looked around suspiciously. "No cameras or anything in here?"

"None." Jeri shook her head. It was one of the few places in the complex that didn't. Henry had confirmed it months before they'd returned to the digital world.

Mala inhaled sharply. "That lady, Tally? She quit. I just had an interview with Yamaki for her job."

_Mala wants to work for Hypnos?_

Mala suddenly met her eye.

"I need to find out how much Hypnos knows about what's happened to Henry and Cronus—and what they plan on doing about it. There's other applicants, but I'll eat a shoe if any of them have ever even set foot in the digital world, let alone have _lived_ there." The girl explained quietly. "It's just part time…but if I don't get it, I know I can get in helping out at the Research and Development area that Henry worked at. Still, if I can get the Operator position, I might be able to find out something that can help you guys. Maybe get access to that Carter file Ryo told me about."

Jeri recalled that Will had talked Riley into doing some research on the Destroyer and the Guardian, and that when he tried to get her to access information on Carter, that it was classified. They had no idea how much Hypnos knew about Carter, but there was at least something about him in the database. Hopefully, they also knew the contact information for his family.

As much as Jeri liked Mr. Yamaki, and could trust him—with some things—she knew that it was the right move in not telling him the truth about Cronus—that he was really Guilmon. Like Takato had said, Yamaki was still a scientist, and he didn't want to jeopardize Cronus's chance at a normal life. Still, having someone on the inside at Hypnos—someone like Mala—would be an asset.

"You sure you'll be safe?" Jeri said nervously. It was a dangerous game Mala would be playing.

Mala didn't nod, but she didn't shake her head either. "I don't know." She admitted. "But I told Cronus once that I'd never give up on him. And Henry, I—" she stammered.

Jeri perked up. "You love him?"

Jeri wouldn't be surprised if she did. They'd been dating for a few months, and hey—Henry was her knight in shining armor that rescued her from the digital world. It was to be expected.

Mala looked a little stunned at first, but she finally nodded. "If there's any chance of bringing them back, we need to do everything we can."

* * *

"Kazu!"

Kazu blinked twice while Calumon jumped out of Will's arms, rushing towards him excitedly as he entered the room. He couldn't help but smile at the little guy. Crappy day or not, Calumon was damn cute.

"Hey buddy." Kazu said, scooping him up fiercely while the white digimon laughed.

The digimon were all staying at Hypnos—no, what had they described it as? _Contained_. The digimon were all being _contained_ at Hypnos. He could tell that the supervisor—that Calumon's babysitter couldn't keep up with him.

"They taking good care of you here?" Kazu asked Calumon. "Not getting bored, are you?"

"Nope! We're playing lots!" Calumon exclaimed, hopping out of Kazu's grasp and floating over to Renamon, who remained silent.

Kazu'd only wrecked two of the stitches in his arm in the fight with his dad earlier, and one of the doctors at Hypnos had patched him up with no questions asked, for which Kazu was pretty grateful. Will had since sat down on the floor with Giz, and he could hear them talking, but not about what. Kazu knew that Giz was interested in the real world, so it was probably that. Renamon was leaning against the wall adjacent to the babysitter, Calumon dancing around at her feet trying to get her attention.

Cyberdramon was knelt down—it looked like he was resting. Just like Guardromon, a few feet away, who seemed to be sleeping.

Kazu's next stop would be to find somewhere to spend the night, since he sure as hell couldn't go home. If he was out of options, he'd just volunteer to take over keeping an eye on the digimon—getting to hang out with Guardromon all day was a pretty good trade-off.

"Get whatever you needed all sorted out?" Will asked Kazu curiously.

Kazu nodded. He hadn't told Will he'd needed his stitches looked at—or even that he'd been bleeding most of the way over. Kazu had had a few changes of clothes in his backpack though, and thrown out the sweatshirt that had been ruined.

"Yeah." Kazu answered. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

Will sighed. "More phone calls. You?"

Kazu shrugged. "Probably hanging out here for a while."

He actually wanted to talk to Jeri about what had happened at his house, and see if her offer to stay at her place was still good. But he wasn't sure it was a good idea, since last he heard, she was staying at Takato's, and Takato wasn't taking any other guests. Kazu's friend had been pretty devastated with everything that had happened…Kazu had known Takato for years, and he'd never seen him so upset. Kazu felt pretty crappy that there was nothing he could do to help, but he was pretty sure Jeri or Ryo could cheer him up. Kazu was better at _keeping_ people happy rather than _making_ them happy.

Will, however, seemed somewhere between happy and—not happy.

"You should take a break." Kazu suggested, glancing at him.

He looked surprised. "I _am_ taking a break…" he replied slowly.

Kazu made a face. "Well I know _that_, but I mean ease up on the phone calls. Wait for another lead. Like you said, it's a haystack, remember?"

It really was—the odds of finding the _right_ Ishida in the entire country, assuming the number was even listed—

"Kazu?" a girl said from behind him.

He turned to see Jeri, who smiled warmly at him before she waved at Will. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Visiting the digitals." Kazu replied, stretching. "You?"

"Homework." She answered.

Kazu grinned. "Nerd."

She gave him a playful kick in the side of his leg. He smiled for a second, before he pulled his courage together.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked her.

Her own smile faded, and he knew that she'd already figured it out.

"For sure." She replied.

They stepped out of the room after telling Will they wouldn't be long.

"Another fight?" Jeri asked nervously.

He nodded. "What gave it away?"

"Probably the backpack." She replied.

It was his typical school backpack, but it was clearly stuffed with clothes. Kazu was typically a light packer, but he had no idea how long he'd be gone.

"Ah." Kazu realized.

"Was it a bad one?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

Kazu shrugged. "Pulled two stitches out, but I'll live."

"Damn it, Kazu." She breathed, closing her eyes for a moment.

He knew that she wanted him to go to the police, or protective services, or _something_, but as much as he hated his family, he didn't feel like it was his place to take them away from each other.

"Aya and Yagi?" Jeri asked next.

"She was out, he was in his room." Kazu answered. He decided to leave out the part where he threatened his dad if he were to hurt her.

"Need a place to stay?" she asked, still obviously concerned.

He smiled back at her guiltily. "I was meaning to ask. If it's not too much trouble, I mean—"

"Of course, don't worry about it." Jeri cut him off. She paused suddenly, before she smiled again. "Okay, yeah. Takato's still got his parents to keep an eye on him, so everything should be fine."

Kazu was pretty sure that Jeri's dad would be fine with it, too, but if he wasn't, Kazu wouldn't put Jeri in a bad situation, and he'd just find somewhere else.

"How _is_ Takato, anyways?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know."

Kazu frowned. He knew he shouldn't have been hoping for better news, but part of him had been.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Kazu inquired carefully.

Jeri didn't hesitate to nod. "He's a tough cookie."

_True that_.

"Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so." Kazu replied, earning himself a smile from Jeri.

"Any crazy plans for the rest of the afternoon and evening?" she asked, the mood lightening considerably.

He scratched his head. "Will's wearing himself thin trying to find Carter's family, so I'm trying to talk him into taking the night off. I'm thinking movie-night."

Jeri perked up. "Movie night sounds great."

Kazu suddenly felt that hope he was trying to repress a few minutes earlier. "Think Takato could stomach sitting through it?"

She looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I think so." She declared finally. "It'll do him good."

"Good plan, then." Kazu concluded, before turning around and shouting loudly. "_Will!_"

He saw Jeri jump at the sound, but she joined in the grinning as Kazu marched back into the room.

"Yeah?" Will asked nervously.

"New job for you." Kazu said flatly.

"Uh—I—really?" he stammered. "I should probably keep working on—"

Kazu was surprised when Jeri cut him off. "It's more important than that." She declared. "We need to go watch movies and eat junk food."

Will still looked nervous. "We do?"

"We do." Kazu assured him. "Now we just need movies, junk food, and a TV." He added thoughtfully.

Will scratched his head. "Well, I have a bunch of movies…"

"There's a candy store next to Rika's house…" Kazu added.

"…and we can watch them at Takato's since he'll want to stay in his pajamas." Jeri finished.

Will turned to Giz, then to the other digimon. "Do you guys wanna come…?"

The babysitter—the guard shook his head. "I'm sorry, but they're not allowed off of the premises."

It was sort of a given, but Kazu could see that Will was disappointed.

"Okay, well, we'll go buy candy, pick up Rika, go to Will's, pick up movies and Ryo, then to Takato's?" Jeri asked.

"Sounds good to me." Kazu nodded.

* * *

"Hello?" Ryo called, tossing his keys across the room to the coffee table in the living room. "Will?"

It was probably as quiet as it got around there, aside from nighttime. Usually either him or Will had some sort of music playing, but there was nothing as Ryo walked around.

_Weird._

"Hey, Will?" Ryo called again, noticing the light was on in Will's room. He peered in, but Will wasn't there. Not a huge surprise, since Will tended to leave lights on. For a genius, he was a little absentminded at times. Ryo didn't really mind, considering their electric bill went straight to the landlord.

He stepped into his brother's room, hoping for a note or something. Ryo glanced on the desk, at a stack of papers—names and phone numbers, some highlighted in different colors. He had no clue what each color meant, but he knew it wasn't just to make it look nice.

Ryo headed to his own room, flicking the mouse on his computer, the screen flickering on. He checked his e-mail accounts, but there wasn't anything particularly interesting. He sat for a moment, thinking about calling Rika to apologize for their fight earlier—but he didn't, because he wasn't sure he _was_ sorry for it. He knew he'd been rude, but he had felt genuinely insulted by her suggestion—even if she'd made it with good intentions.

_I just wanna get my mind off of this._

He was getting hungry, but he didn't feel like cooking.

_Pizza it is._

He turned some of his music on loud enough that he'd be able to hear it from the living room, and headed there to find the phone. It wasn't on the charger, and he hit the intercom button—the beeping led to Will's room, and he mentally smacked himself for not remembering that. He scooped it up quickly, and turned back toward the couch—

—and let out a surprised grunt when he saw Takato standing in the doorway.

"Geez—" Ryo grumbled. "Could give a guy a heart attack."

Takato looked apologetic, prompting Ryo to consider that Takato didn't know he was joking. "Sorry, the door was wide open."

Ryo'd forgotten he hadn't closed it—maybe the absentmindedness ran in the family after all.

"Hey." Ryo said finally, realizing how rude he was being.

Takato nodded in response. "Hey."

Ryo couldn't get Takato to make eye contact as his friend walked into the apartment. "How've you been? I tried calling."

Takato turned back to him. "Yeah, sorry, I was just—"

"No, it's alright, really." Ryo reassured him. He understood fine enough—he was just a little bit hurt that Takato wouldn't talk to him about it. Hell, maybe it was Ryo who needed to talk to _him_ about it, not the other way around. It didn't seem—appropriate for him to talk to Rika about it, or even Will.

"I'm fine." Takato said convincingly. "Really."

Ryo didn't push it any farther. Even if Takato _wasn't_ fine, at least he was there, which meant Ryo might be able to make him feel better regardless. And hey, maybe it would help Ryo take his mind off Rika.

"So what did you do today?" Takato asked casually, putting his backpack on a chair, turning around.

_Ugh._

Ryo smirked at his defeat of not being able to forget. "Fight with Rika."

"Ah." Takato replied. "Anything worth talking about?"

Ryo shrugged. "She doesn't want me going back to the digital world. Says it's too dangerous for me."

"Oh. Well." Takato said, an eyebrow raised. "That's stupid."

Ryo glanced at him. "The idea, or the fact we're fighting about it?"

"Both." A shrug from his friend. "Maybe it's the concussion."

"Thanks." Ryo smirked, laughing a little. "So what have _you_ been doing lately?"

Ryo raised an eyebrow when he realized that Takato had set a large bottle of vodka on the table. By the time he'd noticed, Takato was getting a pair of glasses from the cupboard.

"What are you doing?" Ryo asked in response to the decidedly un-Takato-like behavior.

"We're relatively young." Takato said simply, putting the small cups on the table and sitting down. "Let's start acting like it."

"So you want to get drunk?" Ryo tried to make sure he was on the same wavelength.

Ryo must have looked ridiculous—he'd seen indescribable things in the digital world, but seeing Takato being that surly was something else altogether. Still, Takato was right—they _were_ still young…

"What's it _really_ matter right now?" Takato asked sincerely.

_Good point_.

It really _didn't_ matter at that time. They'd just spent weeks dealing with all sorts of crap that they shouldn't have had to. Fought a war that nobody would ever have heard about, been betrayed by one of—by _two_ of their friends…they'd learned that the ally they'd been counting on had been dead for who-knows-how-long, and they had no idea if any of their allies at Hyperion were even alive after the Destroyer's attack. The world could fall apart at any second—maybe a drink _was_ a good idea.

"What the hell." Ryo agreed, defeated.

Takato smirked back at him. "Got anything to chase with around here?"

Ryo wasn't sure. There was a lot of orange juice in the fridge, but that had been there since before they'd left to the digital world, and he doubted that Will had done any grocery shopping—speak of which, Ryo made a mental note to throw out that carton of milk. He mentally ran through everything that was in the fridge when he'd looked in there earlier.

_A few juice boxes, coffee, can of concentrated orange juice, water—_

"I think Will has a case of root beer on the bottom shelf." Ryo recalled. He knew Will wouldn't mind—well, he was _pretty_ sure Will wouldn't mind.

Takato had found the case just fine, and presented two cans of it. Ryo wasn't crazy about root beer himself, but it was both Takato and Will's favorite. Besides, he'd drank alcohol before, and he knew that drinking it by itself was probably not a good idea. Takato slid him a can across the table, pouring some of the vodka into the oversized cups.

"No shot glasses?" Ryo snickered. He wasn't even sure how Takato had managed to find the booze itself, but whatever. It had been a long day.

"Got crunched under the bottle on the way over." Takato explained simply.

"Ah." Ryo realized, accepting the cup Takato passed him. He held it up triumphantly. "Cheers."

Takato nodded. "To good company?"

"That's me alright." Ryo declared quickly, drinking quickly before Takato could correct him.

The last taste of alcohol Ryo had had was during that Eat-The-Mysterious-Food game that he'd played with Rika, Cronus, and Adrie in the digital world. It was gross then, and it was gross now. At least he was glad he'd done his first—because it meant he got to laugh at Takato while he choked back his own.

"There ya go." Ryo said with a grin as Takato finished, ignoring the burning sensation in his throat. "But this is still a really bad idea."

"Yeah, I know." Takato nodded, pouring the next shot. "To hell with good ideas."

"I hear that." Ryo agreed.

Cynical as they were both being, it was really how Ryo felt at the time—and how he knew Takato felt, too. They'd—everyone had tried to hard to do what was right, and now…

Going to the digital world had been a good idea. They were supposed to go, and correct those little disturbances that were piling up so that they'd never have the option of breaking down the barriers between both worlds. Instead, they went, fixed a bunch of those disturbances, got Henry possessed by the Destroyer, and sped up the whole apocalypse they'd tried to stop. Great idea, really.

"Another?" Takato asked, glancing up, ready to pass him the cup.

Ryo nodded. "Yeah, why not?"

_Well, aside from all those legitimate reasons _not_ to…_

Ryo held the glass up to eye-level, staring at the ring at the surface of it. He had no idea how much Takato was pouring into each one, considering there was no sort of measuring device used whatsoever, but it looked to have just about the same amount as the first one. Good eye.

"So I know why _I'm_ doing this…" Takato murmured, pouring his own drink carefully. "What's wrong with you?"

Ryo shrugged.

"I'm just—" he started, trying to find the right word. "Busy." He finished.

"'Busy'?" Takato asked.

Another shrug. "I just thought that after the D-Reaper we were done with this crap. I mean don't get me wrong, I love everyone being together in the digital world, but this is—it's just a lot to deal with, you know?"

Takato had done his drink while Ryo was talking, but he nodded after he was done grimacing. "I mean which crappy thing is pissing you off most right now?"

Ryo had to think about all of them, but after a moment he finally decided which two were the biggest sources of stress. "That fight with Rika, and worrying about Will." Ryo concluded, drinking the contents of his glass quickly, followed by a gulp of root beer.

Takato looked skeptical. "Not to demean your fight or anything, but it doesn't sound it was that big a deal. You guys've argued plenty worse than that."

They really had, but that wasn't it.

"I think maybe she was right." Ryo said, staring at the table.

Out of his peripheral vision, he could see Takato leaning back in his chair. "You don't think you should go back?"

Ryo slid his cup across the table, leaning back himself while Takato sat upright to pour. "Well, that's what brings me to the second thing. Will." Ryo explained. "If I didn't go back, then he wouldn't follow me, and he'd stay here, where it's safe."

He suddenly realized something he had forgotten to ask before. "Were your parents pissed when he ran off?" Ryo asked.

Will had been staying with Mr. and Mrs. Matsuda before he'd snuck off, broken into Hypnos, and entered the digital world to chase after Ryo and the others.

Takato shook his head. "Not really. I think they understood; he left them a note. I think they were just worried that _you_'d be pissed at them."

_That I'd be a jerk about it…_

He _had_ been a jerk about it—when he'd realized what Will had done. That was another fight that Ryo had had with Rika—what had she called him? A selfish bastard? Maybe she was right.

"So you think you might stick around here?" Takato asked, passing the cup back. Ryo downed it quickly. He was starting to feel lightheaded.

"Maybe I'll lock him in your basement." Ryo suggested. "'Course, he'd probably just find an old computer there and use it to break out somehow."

Ryo really wished he'd gotten some more of the brains in the family. Ryo was bright, and so were both of their parents, but Will was something else entirely.

Takato grinned, but it faded quickly. "Tell him about the D-Arc yet?"

Ryo shook his head. It had been in his pocket when they'd been pulled out of the digital world, and he'd shoved it under his bed once they'd got home—but he still hadn't told Will about it.

Ryo hesitated before he asked his next question. "What did you tell your parents about Cronus?"

He knew that they knew the truth about him—that he was Guilmon…but Ryo'd barely spoken to Takato since they got back—he had no idea what they know about what he had done.

Takato nodded. "Without going into details, I told them the truth." He said with a sigh. "That he was modeled after Carter, that he—euthanized Adrie, and that he thought we'd lose, so he took the Digtial World's power and ran away."

_Ouch._

Ryo didn't say it out loud, but it was certainly his first thought.

Takato just shook his head, perhaps more to himself than to Ryo. "I don't know. They just want him to come home."

Cronus had been living with him, and he got along well with Takato's parents. And Cronus was always so well-behaved, so Ryo could see how they'd miss him. Ryo knew that for Mother's Day, Cronus wanted to get something for Mrs. Matsuda, and enlisted Jeri's help to teach him how to bake some sweets, since she was the only person who could teach him outside of the bakery itself. Ryo didn't know the details of the entire process itself, but it took at least three batches before they tasted the way Cronus wanted them to. The way Takato told it, his mom sounded pretty flattered by Cronus's gesture.

"We'll find him." Ryo assured him. "Then we'll bring him home."

Takato gave a smile, if only a little one. "'We'?"

Ryo took another drink. They'd both done a number on the bottle already, and it hadn't been very long. "Why does everything suck so much?" Ryo asked.

"You're _really_ not looking forward to deciding whether or not to go, are you?" Takato laughed.

Ryo thought about it a little more, though he'd told himself it wouldn't. "Rika—she's all I've wanted for _years_—you know that. Well, now I'm finally _with_ her, and now we—"

"It was just a fight." Takato repeated. "Jeri and I fight all the time, and we've been together for two years."

Ryo doubted that. "You two never fight."

"We do, we just don't let anyone _see_ us fight." Takato grinned. "You and Rika are just the loud ones."

_He's got me there_.

Rika never cared who was around when she was pissed at someone, and Ryo'd gotten in more than a few fist fights in broad daylight.

"Can I ask something?" Ryo asked suddenly.

Takato shrugged. "Go for it."

"Say _nobody_ chooses to go back to the digital world." Ryo asked. "What would you do?"

He hadn't meant for it to be a threat or anything, but he was just curious. Jeri didn't have Leomon anymore, and Takato didn't have Guilmon anymore—and Terriermon didn't have Henry.

Takato shrugged. "If it were Will, what would you do?"

Ryo'd gotten more out of his own question than he'd expected. Takato's response made him realize _why_ Ryo had to go back, even if Rika would be mad at him. Hell, he wasn't even worried about Rika being mad at him anymore—she'd understand it if Ryo had put it like that.

"Good answer." Ryo smirked.

Takato nodded. "He been okay since we got back?"

Ryo nodded.

"He's a good guy." Ryo affirmed. "And here I am hiding all these things from him."

Takato emptied his own glass, meeting Ryo's eye. "Well, it's for his own good."

Ryo sighed. "Yeah, but who am I to decide what's good for him or not?"

What gave Ryo the right to hide a D-Arc from someone who deserved it…?

"Well, his big brother, for one." Takato answered confidantly. "His hero, would be two…" Takato looked thoughtful. "I guess—the fact that you've got some more life experience would be a distant third."

Ryo hid his smile.

_His hero._

He knew Will looked up to him, but it was something else to hear someone else say it.

"So you think I'm doing the right thing by hiding his D-Arc?" Ryo asked, interested.

Takato nodded. "I'd say so, yeah. If it keeps him out of battle, then by all means."

Ryo bit his lip. "And what about hiding that he's my brother?"

A moment passed where Ryo had hoped Takato would nod, but it was only half of a nod. "I'd say that I trust your judgment." Takato replied carefully.

"I appreciate that."

Takato was quiet for a moment, before he glanced at the bottle again. "More?"

Ryo grinned. He was feeling it, and he knew it wasn't a good idea, but hey—he was having a good time. "Yeah."

* * *

Rika was watching that movie she and Ryo both fell asleep to. Of course, she was actually thinking about her argument with Ryo earlier that day. She felt terrible about it…she'd thought about phoning Jeri, but decided against it—she didn't want to pull her away from Takato, who probably needed her more than Rika did just then. Of course, the only other person that Rika would talk to in a situation like that—would have been Henry.

_Why did it have to be him?_

She just didn't understand it. Why him, instead of her? Why _either_ of them, for that matter? And what Reed said—that Rika herself had some of the Destroyer's data in her—Data X he'd called it—what did that mean? By staying in the real world, would that stop the Destroyer from ever tearing down the walls, or was it just a matter of time?

It hurt to think about. She didn't _like_ to think about it.

But she _didn't _think about it when Ryo was around. Things seemed so much simpler—until she'd blurted out that she didn't want him going back to the digital world. He'd been mad when he left, but she'd been mad herself, too. She'd checked her e-mail, her answering machine, her instant messenger—but he hadn't sent her anything.

Her first real relationship since Adam, and he wouldn't even talk to her.

_Not necessarily true._

Not that she could blame him, since she didn't send anything herself, so it wouldn't be fair to assume he was ignoring her.

It was strange to think that life in the digital world had been so much more enjoyable. Well, there had been those sixteen hours between the end of the war, until Adrie died, when everyone had been together, and happy. Everything had just piled on before and after it, but at least back there she hadn't felt so—alone.

She really wanted to talk to him, so they could figure things out—one way or another…but it wasn't like she could just go over there—she hadn't actually seen his apartment. They hadn't gotten close again until they were back in the digital world, and Ryo and Will had moved into that apartment before then, so Rika only knew which building it was.

The movie finished, but Rika didn't really care. She wanted her friends. She wanted Ryo. She wanted—

_Potato chips._

At least that one was available.

She turned the TV off and rolled off the couch to her feet, stretching before she headed to the kitchen.

Her mom was sitting at the table in the kitchen, flipping through a magazine. "Hi, sweetie."

"Hey, mom." Rika replied.

Rika rummaged through the cupboard before finding a half-eaten bag of chips. But she noticed a can of hot chocolate next to it, which sounded equally appealing. She filled the kettle and plugged it in, before pouring some of the chips to a bowl, sitting down at the table with her mother.

"So what's wrong?" her mother asked teasingly.

Rika raised her eyebrow. "Why would something be wrong?"

Her mom closed the magazine. "Well, it's six in the evening and you're still wearing your slippers, you're eating stale chips, and your grandmother said that Ryo took off in a hurry earlier."

_Ouch_.

She bit down on the potato chip in her hand—it _was_ stale. Rika had nothing. "Maybe I just love my slippers?" she tried hopefully.

Her mom had bought them for her a while back, and they really were comfortable, but Rika so rarely lazed around the house that they didn't get much use.

Her mom gave a little smile. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay too." She said sweetly.

Part of her didn't, but she felt obligated to. She got along well enough with her mom, but they never really talked about what was going on in each other's lives—she knew her mom loved her and everything, and Rika loved her mom too, but both of them seemed to scared to ever really ask about the other, and she realized her mom had just made an effort.

"We had a fight." Rika said quietly.

Her mom turned to her a little. "Can I ask about what?"

Rika wasn't entirely sure where to begin. "Well, I kinda told him I didn't think he should go back to the digital world, and I probably shouldn't have." She sighed.

"And?"

"And we kind of started arguing about whether or not it was a fair thing for me to say, and then we argued some more, then he left."

Her mom looked thoughtful. "Was he mad, or just upset?"

Rika stood up and headed towards the kettle, which she could hear boiling. "Both, I think." Rika answered. "Hot chocolate?"

"Sure, thanks."

Rika threw a pair of marshmallows into two mugs, and started to mix it. "And I feel really bad about the fight itself, but I'm not sure I'm actually sorry for saying what started it." Rika continued. "I _don't_ want him to go back."

Her mother was quiet for a moment. "Well, I don't want _you_ to go back, but I know you need to."

Rika thought about it while she handed her mom the mug of hot chocolate, taking her own and sitting down with her stale chips.

"I guess that's true." Rika admitted. "But it's just—like, this is a pretty big thing to disagree on, isn't it?"

Her mom smirked. "Well, I'd say that this particular situation is kind of unique."

Rika grinned back, defeated. "Another reason it sucks."

"Have you tried calling him?" she asked.

Rika looked down guiltily. "I've _tried _to try." She admitted.

"You should go over there." Her mom suggested. "I'm sure he wants to talk to you, too. I've seen the way he looks at you."

Rika was worried she was blushing, but she didn't answer right away. She didn't quite know how to admit that she didn't know where her boyfriend's house was. Maybe she _should _call.

"Thanks." Rika smiled finally. She hadn't expected the discussion to go so well, but her mom had helped put it in perspective.

They sat for a few minutes longer while they finished their drinks, talking about school, friends, and her mom's next fashion projects, and Rika gave her mom the same attention that she'd received minutes before. Eventually her grandmother stepped in, and Rika thought she'd come to investigate the laughter.

"Rika, honey, some of your friends are here."

"Okay, coming." Rika said, standing up. She gave her mom a kiss on the cheek and a hug from behind on her way to the door.

It was Jeri, Kazu, and Will.

"Wow, you look like crap." Jeri declared.

Considering Kazu was right next to her, Rika would have expected him to be the one to say it first.

"Thanks." Rika replied, tying her hair so it didn't look so scraggly. "What's up?"

"We're gonna go get Ryo, then to Takato's for a movie night." Kazu explained. "You in?"

She didn't have to think twice. "Definitely. Just let me get changed."

* * *

"Maybe I should buy him a puppy." Ryo suddenly said loudly, excited.

Takato raised an eyebrow, hoping he hadn't missed part of the conversation. He was drunk, plain and simple. Then again, so was Ryo, so perhaps his declaration really was as random as Takato thought it was.

"Come again?" Takato asked, giving a laugh.

"A dog." Ryo repeated. "Maybe I should buy Will a puppy."

They'd been talking about college and university a few seconds before. Takato tried to connect the dots in his mind. But either the pattern was insensible, or someone had spilled booze all over it.

"I'm—missing _something_, but I can't quite figure out what." Takato admitted.

"If he had a _puppy_, then he wouldn't want to leave it." Ryo explained his vodka-fueled scheme. "_And_, it would double as an excuse for Rika not to be mad—'I have to go save the world, for the puppy's sake'. Good idea?"

Takato laughed, hard. Felt like forever since he'd laughed that much. It wasn't even the alcohol—it was entirely from Ryo's abstract thinking—whatever the cause, it felt good to laugh again.

"That's the worst idea _ever_." Takato replied, still laughing, causing Ryo to turn red, taking another swig from the bottle. They'd given up on pouring.

They both laughed a little, Ryo clearly regretting his sharing the idea. "Yeah, let's just pretend I didn't suggest using the excuse that we save the world for the puppy's sake."

He passed the bottle back to Takato, who frowned at its contents. It was getting near the bottom, which meant the next morning probably wouldn't be a good time. At least Takato made a good breakfast.

"You gonna ask Jeri to go back to the digital world?" Ryo asked.

Takato nodded. "Yeah."

He'd thought about it frequently since they'd gotten back to the real world, and decided that as long as Jeri wanted to, he'd be happy to have her along. Even if she wasn't a fighter, she—

"She keeps me strong." He concluded aloud.

He wouldn't have made it as far as he did without her. He knew that Jeri was the strongest one of them all. After losing Leomon, and after the D-Reaper—she'd made it through all that intact. She was stronger than most people gave her credit for.

"And I can't rely on your drunken ass to keep me out of trouble." Takato decided with a grin, ducking the random spoon Ryo threw at him.

* * *

Jeri was beside Rika on their way to the apartment, following just a few paces behind Will and Kazu. She was having fun already, which was a good sign.

"Have we decided on what movies yet?" Rika asked curiously.

"I have a lot, and Ryo has some, too." Will replied. "Or we could download some if we've got time—it's still pretty early."

"I want something old, and really, really cheesy." Kazu declared.

Jeri laughed, recalling how much Kazu liked old, crappy movies.

"I'm talking black and white, bad acting, with hats held up by strings that are supposed to be spaceships." He went on.

She'd watched more than a few of them with Kazu—he argued that they were good to watch with a lot of people since it didn't matter the slightest bit if anyone missed anything.

"That sounds pretty fun, actually." Rika admitted.

"We'll have to stop and rent one." Jeri agreed. "But I still wanna look through Will's collection."

Jeri knew that he had a lot of movies, and that they were mostly good. Most of the time that she and Takato went over there, Jeri wound up borrowing one of them.

Will had his keys out, but he tried the handle first, and it looked like it was unlocked. He stuffed them back into his pocket, and pushed it open.

There was an awful lot of laughter coming from inside, accompanied by really bad music, but Jeri couldn't see anything past Will and Kazu. Still she had a question.

"Why is Ryo listening to Ace of Base?" she asked quietly, only getting a shrug from Rika.

"Woah." Will said promptly.

Kazu and Will stepped inside, finally giving Jeri and Rika a view of what they saw—Takato and Ryo, clearly drunk out of their minds.

"Shit. Busted." Ryo snickered.

Kazu picked a bottle up off the kitchen table. It was empty. "Wow. Champs." He snickered.

"Thanks buddy." Takato murmured aloud, flashing a thumbs up past a grin.

Takato was on the couch, his head turned over the arm of it, looking at everyone that had just come in. Ryo was stretched out on the adjacent couch, arms behind his head. The two were watching something on TV, but it looked like it was on mute.

Ryo's laptop was on the coffee table, some speakers hooked up to it, playing—as Jeri had already noted—Ace of Base.

"I—" Will started slowly. "I really didn't see this coming."

Kazu was still clearly amused. "So this isn't a normal thing around here?"

Will shook his head. "No, I'd say this is brand new."

Jeri stepped in, looking around curiously. Yeah, it definitely _was_ brand new—Takato was smiling.

"Hey, you." Takato said, smiling.

She couldn't help but smile back. "Hey, yourself. What's going on?"

He looked thoughtful, rubbing one hand over his right eye. "I got lonely after you left, and then I got bored, and then I bought that bottle Kazu has now, and then I came here, then the bottle went away, and now my tummy hurts."

Takato had closed his eyes by the end of the longest run-on sentence of all time, and Jeri glanced back at her friends. All of them seemed as amused as she suddenly was.

"And then we decided to download bad music." Ryo finished.

"And then we decided to download bad music." Takato said as if Ryo hadn't.

A pause.

"Will, don't ever drink." Ryo suddenly ordered, his own eyes still closed.

"Okay." He replied casually.

Takato sat up. "Why are you guys here?" he sounded a little more cogent, but not much.

"We're having a movie night." Jeri explained. "You up for it?"

He shook his head lazily. "No movies. Just sleep now."

"It's 7:30, boss." Kazu snickered.

Takato's eyes were closed, but he gave a response—it was twelve syllables long, and was absolute gibberish. When Jeri looked over to her friends, she only saw Rika mouth the word 'wow'.

"Maybe we should watch the movies here then?" Kazu suggested, apparently over his teasing.

"Sounds like a good idea." Jeri agreed. She turned to Will. "Is there anywhere we can, uh, pour Takato here?"

Will nodded quickly. "He can have my bed, I'll take the couch. He's probably less likely to roll off in there."

It took a few minutes, but she got him onto his feet and Kazu walked him into the other room.

"Well, at least he got out of the house?" Jeri suggested hopefully to Rika and Will. She was a little curious as to why Rika hadn't gone to say anything to Ryo, but Jeri didn't push anything.

"What are we watching first?" Will asked curiously.

Kazu held up the movie case excitedly. They'd rented it on the way over—it was apparently about vampires and mutants, and it was made in the 60's, so they were hoping the effects would be bad enough that it was entertaining.

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Ryo grumbled, climbing to his feet. He stumbled on his first step, but Rika had moved insanely quickly, and stopped him from tipping backwards.

"Aw." Ryo chirped. "Thanks, pumpkin."

He planted a kiss on her temple, causing Rika to glance back at Jeri, and Will, embarrassed, before walking him to his room.

"So Jeri, either your boyfriend thought he was talking to you, or that was the most awkward thing I've ever experienced." Kazu said, returning. There was a pause. "Don't ask."

"Don't tell." Rika agreed, stepping back in.

* * *

Ryo's mouth was dry, and it felt uncomfortable enough that he actually woke up.

_Ugh._

As crappy as he felt, it was one of the better times he'd had in a while—it felt good to just kick back. Or maybe it just felt good to act like a regular teenager once in a while. Still, he wouldn't turn down a glass of water.

He had to stare at the clock a few seconds while his eyes adjusted.

_12:00? Fuck._

The power must have flickered off again.

_Oh well._

He tossed the covers off and stepped out of bed. He suddenly remembered that he'd managed to get changed into some pajama pants and a white t-shirt after he'd gone to bed.

Ryo felt lightheaded as he stood up.

_Crap. Still a little drunk._

Whatever—it wasn't like he needed to drive anywhere, he was just walking to the kitchen. He crept quietly to the door, avoiding the spots that made noise so that he wouldn't wake Will up—

—except he nearly _tripped_ over Will, who was sleeping on the floor a few feet outside the door.

_What the hell?_

Jeri was asleep on one couch, Rika on the other, and Will and Kazu were both on the floor.

_Right, everyone came over._

He stepped over Will, then over Kazu, and into the kitchen. He opened the fridge, and grabbed two juice boxes.

Ryo pulled the straw off of one, downing it quickly, and then drank the other one just as fast. He started back to his room, but stopped to add 'juice' to the grocery list.

_Cool._

Except that when he turned around, he kicked the leg of the table.

_Ow, fu—_

He grabbed the vodka bottle he and Takato had been drinking from, as it was wobbling loudly. He turned back to the others, but they didn't look like they'd been woken up. He glanced at the bottle. He and Takato had drank a _lot_.

Ryo put it back down, and then started back to his room.

"Ryo?" a voice whispered.

He turned, and Rika was sitting up on the couch. "Hey."

"I know it's late, but can we talk for a sec?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure."

_Why was she being weird? Right, we had that fight…_

He beckoned her into his room, so that they wouldn't wake the others, and shut the door once he'd turned the light on when they were both in.

"Hey, about that fight earlier—yesterday…" Ryo started. "I shouldn't have yelled like that."

"It wasn't fair of me to ask what I did." Rika replied guiltily. "I'm sorry too."

Ryo smiled at her, and something else from the evening came back to him. "I asked Takato—well, when we were both able to talk clearly, I mean—what he'd do even if nobody else would go—and I have to go with him." He explained. "I hope you're okay with that—if you're not, that's fine too, but I—I _have_ to go with him."

She smiled at him reassuringly. "I get it, don't worry."

Ryo exhaled sharply. "Wow." He said finally. "I feel a lot better now."

Rika did the same. "Yeah, me too."

There was a pause. "Well, we should probably get some sleep." Rika said. "It's like five in the morning."

It was a pretty awkward few seconds that followed—he didn't know if Rika was going to sleep in his room, or if she was going back to the living room—but he decided to show some initiative. "You wanna crash in here?"

She smiled. "Yeah, sure."

He paused.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

She looked confused, but she nodded. "Sure. Okay."

Ryo stepped back out to the living room, shaking Will's arm gently.

"Huh?" his brother mumbled.

"Hey, man." Ryo said. "Move to the couch, okay?"

Will grumbled something, but he sat up, evidently disoriented.

It took a minute, but Will nodded finally, and Ryo helped him up, and he walked to the couch, still groggy, and flopped onto it. He was out quickly, and Ryo put the blanket over him.

He looked at him for a moment. He decided that he'd tell him soon—tell him everything. About his digivice, and about their mother. He deserved to know it.

_Soon._

Ryo hurried back to his room. Rika looked like she was asleep already, and he climbed into bed beside her. He felt her stir, and he put his arm around her.

But there was still something on his mind. "Hey, Rika?"

"Mm?"

"What you asked earl—yesterday…" he went on. "I love you."

He felt her cuddle a bit closer to him.

_Yesterday wasn't great, but today's looking better._

* * *

Before I forget, karika88, that last Ryuki scene was thrown in as per your request :P.

I know this chapter was kinda different, but it seemed fitting to me since everyone's kind of getting back to their real lives.

I think one of the reasons it was longer than I expected was that I didn't take into account that there wasn't much of a place to end it. If it wasn't so damn long already, I'd have written the next chapter at the same time and done a double-upload.

Anyways, hope that was enjoyable. Check out my forum for some outlines for the upcoming chapters. My account-profile-thingy is also updated just about daily with writing progress, too.

So yeah, the stuff with Kazu's family was something I'd wanted to include for a long while, but since they'd been in the digital world from Chapters 2 – 22, there wasn't much point to bringing it up when I couldn't explore it. The scene with Rika and Ryo's fight I was pretty careful with. I wanted it to be handled in a way that didn't diminish either of their characters. The purpose of them fighting was to have Rika's heart-to-heart with her mom, and Ryo's with Takato.

Some clarifications—Hypnos doesn't know about what happened to Henry, and neither does Henry's family. This chapter was originally going to open with Takato being yelled at by Yamaki, who blames him for what Cronus did. The scene was actually written, but I'm either going to use it in one of the upcoming chapters, or rewrite it so that it's him talking to Jeri, and her defending him.

Review!

-N


	24. Blood Brothers

I'm glad the last chapter was enjoyed, I was a little worried since it was pretty different than most chapters before it. Anyways, the drunk scene was actually pretty important (not plot-wise, but theme-wise), since it's gonna be a huge contrast to how dark this chapter gets by the end.

Excited? No? Damn. Review anyways…please?

-N

* * *

**Previously:**

"So why'd you leave the country?" Ryo asked quietly.

"Because I found out I was pregnant." Miriam answered.

_What?_

"You mean Will's—"

/ / /

He entered the room, and saw something on the floor that shouldn't have been there. Miriam. Face down against the carpet, a spilled glass of water in her right hand.

"Mom?"

Ryo rushed to her, and rolled her over. The result had Ryo looking into eyes that couldn't see him back.

/ / /

"Sometimes things just happen, Ryo." Takato said carefully, though slowly, as he was trying to be both comforting and realistic. "It's just—sometimes we don't have a choice."

"You're right." Ryo eventually admitted. "I know I don't have a choice in who people are, or the secrets they keep. I know that there's things I can't stop, and that I didn't have a choice in what happened in Rika's father's life—or in my mother's." Ryo turned and glanced to the ceiling, knowing Will was upstairs, before he flopped back onto the couch, the material making a ruffling noise under his weight. "But even if I don't have a say in any of that, I _do_ have a choice about the life my brother can have."

/ / /

Reed reached in, and tossed the single content to Takato with one hand, putting the brick back with the other.

It was a D-Arc—dark orange.

"What's—" Takato stammered, confused.

"It's Will's." Reed confirmed.

/ / /

It took a minute, but Will nodded finally, and Ryo helped him up, and he walked to the couch, still groggy, and flopped onto it. He was out quickly, and Ryo put the blanket over him.

He looked at him for a moment. He decided that he'd tell him soon—tell him everything. About his digivice, and about their mother. He deserved to know it.

_Soon._

* * *

**Blood Brothers:**

"Damn it!"

Takato jolted upright at the sound, regretting it immediately when his head reminded him that it wasn't a good idea after his night of binge drinking with Ryo.

…_Ow._

He was pretty sure he remembered everything that had happened. Probably not, but he could be hopeful, right?

_Well, apparently not._

Takato realized that he was in Will's room. He didn't remember being put to bed. It had been Will that had just cursed from the living room, and Takato climbed to his feet to find out what was wrong.

He opened the door and stepped out. Takato was pretty sure he looked like crap, but he didn't really mind. Will was sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, papers covering the surface of it. Sitting on the table was also Ryo's laptop.

"Oh…sorry." Will said guiltily as he noticed Takato.

Takato shrugged.

"Probably about time I got up anyways." He admitted. "What's wrong?"

Will frowned. "The phone card I just bought says that the number on it's invalid."

"Well, that sucks."

"I noticed. It was expecting to get at least five hundred calls out of it."

Takato was impressed. "That many?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, the people usually hang up less than a minute in, so the calls're typically short."

Takato winced. He knew that Will was trying to locate Reed—TK, or his brother, Matthew Ishida. Takato glanced at the many pages on the table, various numbers highlighted in different colors. Takato walked over and stared at them more intently, trying to decipher a pattern in them.

After a moment, he gave up.

"What's with the colors?"

Will turned a color of his own—red.

"Uh, well, green are people that said they don't know Matthew Ishida," Will started. "The ones in yellow are people who hung up before they let me finish asking; the ones in orange are people who thought I was telemarketing; and the ones in blue are people that I don't think were actually listening to what I asked at all."

Takato frowned. "Yikes."

"I had people that swore more than three times at me highlighted in a darker green, but it started to depress me after seeing the first dozen or so." Will nodded. "And I wouldn't even mind that so much, if I could at least use both hands."

Will's right arm had been broken in the attack on the city, and was bound by a sling. Takato knew that Will was right-handed, so he figured that it must have been frustrating for him by itself, let alone that he was dealing with rude people on the phone for hours on end.

Takato felt guilty that Will had been stressing himself out over it so much. "You don't _have_ to call everyone in the country with the last name 'Ishida', you know. You shouldn't be putting yourself under pressure like this."

Will shrugged. "Well, we don't really have any _other_ leads…"

Takato knew he was right, but he still didn't want Will tearing his hair out for it. "We'll find a way. We always do."

The boy looked doubtful, but put the phone card down on the table. "Okay." He finally said, apparently accepting Takato's advice.

Takato smiled, glancing at the Ryo's computer. "Ouch. Ryo never lets _me_ use his laptop."

"Mine was in my room, and I didn't want to wake you up."

Takato shook his head to himself, impressed with his consideration. He wanted to say something about how Will shouldn't worry about it next time, but Takato also wasn't sure when he would next drink too much and pass out on Will's bed. So, he settled with "Thanks."

"That's okay." Will smiled reassuringly, before looking suddenly surprised, looking at the screen.

Takato looked at the laptop, and saw that the screen saver had come on…Ryo had had it set on one that scrolled through pictures stored on it, and the first one it chose was a picture of Takato, Rika, Jeri, and Henry on it. It was a couple of years old—'back in the day', as it were. Will hit a key, pausing it before it changed.

"Is that you?" he asked, squinting.

Takato nodded. "Yep. A couple of years ago."

Will was still staring at it, but Takato didn't know exactly why.

"What's that on your head?"

Takato grinned. "Goggles."

Will looked at him, surprised. "You snowboard?"

Takato laughed. "Absolutely not."

Will looked back to the picture, but said nothing. Takato knew he was trying to fill in the blanks on his own, even if he just didn't have the information.

"They're an old good luck charm of mine." Takato explained. "I got them the same day I got Guilmon, so they made me feel more—connected, if that makes any sort of sense."

Will nodded. "Yeah, it does. But why don't you wear them anymore? Don't you still need luck?"

Takato really wasn't sure, so he had to think about it. Eventually, he came up with an honest answer. "They're really important to me…really important. Like, one-of-my-favorite-things kind of important. So I think I'm scared that if I brought them along and something bad happened, I might consider them _less_ important. And I like them how they are. I'm probably talking in circles—"

"—No, I get it, I think." Will insisted. "It's like why Cronus ran off by himself like that. He wanted all of us to stay the way we are instead of getting hurt or changed by the Destroyer. Right?"

Takato hadn't thought about it that way, but it made sense.

"Right." Takato answered.

Will looked proud for figuring it out, and Takato glanced around, realizing he'd completely forgotten to ask. "Where is everyone?"

"They all left to do stuff." Will answered. "They were nice and vague about it. My best guess is that they went to Hypnos for something or other. Or maybe to get hangover food for Ryo. Either way, I got stuck here at the kids' table."

The boy suddenly looked at Takato, worriedly. "Speaking of which, you don't look too great."

Takato flashed him a convincing thumbs up, even though he certainly _didn't_ feel great. "It's probably just the fact that I haven't showered, or brushed my teeth, and I smell like vodka."

Will laughed. "I'm sure you have a change of clothes here somewhere…and I'm pretty sure they've gone through the laundry, too…"

Takato slept at their apartment frequently. He loved his parents dearly, but it was pretty great having frequent access to a more relaxed atmosphere. Takato actually had at least three changes of clothes there. Even Cronus had some extra clothes there, too…Takato just had no idea where to go about looking for them.

"Oh." Will declared suddenly, standing up and rushing over to the linen closet. He opened it and Takato saw his clothes neatly folded on the bottom shelf. "These are yours, aren't they?"

"Indeed they are." Takato replied proudly, glad he wouldn't have to feel so gross. He selected a navy tee and some blue camo shorts. He gave them a sniff, and learned that they actually _were_ clean.

"He said _my_ name too, right?" Will suddenly asked.

_Huh?_

Takato turned back to him, confused. "What do you mean? Who said your name?"

"The Guardian. Angemon, or whatever." Will answered. "Right at the beginning of that recording, he said my name too, right?"

Takato nodded. "Yeah, he did."

"I don't really get why he said _my_ name." Will murmured, uneasily.

Takato looked at him hard. Clearly, Ryo had decided not to give him the D-Arc that had been hidden by Henry, and recovered by Reed. Will still didn't know he was a Tamer. Takato didn't want to lie to the boy's face, so he just found another explanation—besides, with Cronus human, Takato technically wasn't a Tamer anymore anyways.

"Well…" Takato started. "I remember that he said he was doing everything so we'd all be where we were. The Guardian must have anticipated everything."

Will looked skeptical. "Do you really believe in that? Destiny, and all that, I mean?"

Takato shrugged. He wasn't really sure. Again, he found his way around answering. "Well, if the digital world runs sort of like a big computer, it must be able to calculate things, right?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

He suddenly looked apologetic.

"Sorry, I'm keeping you from your shower." Then, slightly more deviously, "Hurry up, you're starting to smell up the place."

* * *

Ryo opened the door and walked into the apartment. He'd been out with Rika most of the morning—they'd gone out for lunch to make up for their fight the day before. Things between them went back to normal, and Ryo was grateful for it. As Ryo entered, Will was just coming out of his room, an empty plate in his left hand.

"Hey." Will said, waving the plate at him.

"What's up?"

"Just finished catching up on homework." Will declared.

Ryo looked around. "Takato up?"

"He left about an hour ago." Will answered, turning the kitchen tap on and awkwardly washing the plate clean with his arm in the sling before setting the dish out to dry. "Uh, there's still lots of stuff left for sandwiches. I can make you one if you're hungry."

Ryo smiled. "I'm okay, thanks."

He tossed his keys onto the table.

"Was the movie night good?" Ryo asked casually.

"Yeah, it was fun." Will said happily. "Sucks that you were all drunk and downloading bad music, or you coulda joined in."

Ryo scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I was kind of a scene, I hear."

"Little bit." Will nodded. "Takato didn't throw up on my bed, so I'm happy."

Ryo laughed, but Will didn't.

"Uh, can I ask something?" Will looked nervous.

Ryo tensed up. "'Course."

"What Henry did—and what Cronus did…" Will said, staring at the floor before looking up at Ryo. "When are we going back to the digital world?"

Ryo didn't follow the train of thought, and Will elaborated.

"Nobody's talking about it—we haven't—given up on them, have we…?" Will asked. "When are we going to go set everything right?"

_He's ready to go back—he doesn't even know he's a Tamer, and he—_

Maybe it was time. Ryo looked at him.

"Hang on."

Ryo walked to his room, opened his dresser, and grabbed the D-Arc from it. Will's D-Arc. He stared at it for a second before he walked back to the kitchen, where Will was waiting nervously.

"Here." Ryo said simply, handing it to Will.

His brother looked at it curiously. "I thought your D-Arc was blue?"

"It is." Ryo breathed. "That's yours."

Will's expression lit up. "W—what? It's mine?"

Ryo couldn't tell if his brother was glad or not. "It's yours. Giz is your partner."

It was then that Ryo could tell that Will _was_ happy.

"This is great, thank you! But—" he trailed off. "But why did _you _have it?"

Ryo took a deep breath. "When it first appeared, Henry—the Destroyer hid it. After he turned on Reed, he said where it was."

Ryo made sure not to mention that Takato already knew—no point in bringing him down with Ryo.

"You've had it all this time?" Will looked confused.

"I wanted you to be safe."

Will still looked confused—something that Ryo wasn't used to seeing on someone so brilliant. Then again, the situation they were in wasn't exactly a common one.

"Takato, Rika, myself—the rest of us have been fighting for years." Ryo explained. "It's just not a life that I wanted you to get stuck with."

"Yeah, but—" Will started carefully. "It's _important_."

"It is." Ryo agreed. There was no question about that. "But you're important too."

Will seemed more settled, staring at his D-Arc, no doubt thinking of all his new responsibilities. He glanced up at Ryo suspiciously. "What else?"

_Here goes._

Ryo took a deep breath.

"When I was very little, my parents would fight a lot. They divorced, and my dad got custody of me. And my mom moved to the States." Ryo started. "But it wasn't because of the divorce, it was because she was pregnant. With you. You're my brother, Will."

Will's eyes widened, his mouth opening slightly.

"It was the last thing she told me the day that she died." Ryo continued. "Your adoption was a hoax to throw off any suspicion that you were related to my father—she was scared he'd try to get custody of you, too."

"What…?" Will didn't actually say it out loud, but his mouth formed the word. He glanced around the room rapidly, as if he was trying to find something. Ryo's heart was racing…nearly every day for months, Ryo had wanted to tell Will the truth about their mother. It took months of living with him, and fighting in the digital world for him to get the guts to finally do it and—and Ryo was immediately regretting it.

Will was, understandably, shocked. His eyes raced around the room, slowly but desperately. Ryo knew that Will's mind was racing with everything—trying to recall if Ryo or even Miriam had dropped any hints about it. And with Will's brain and memory, Ryo knew he must have been recalling a great number of things.

"How can you…?" His eyes finally settled on Ryo's. "I've felt so—alone, and—you knew all this time…?"

_Alone?_

Ryo hadn't known that—Will had never said anything about it…but Ryo locked his eyes on Will's, not letting himself run away from the revelation. Will _did_ deserve to know the truth.

"I didn't want you to remember her for hiding it from you." Ryo said solemnly.

Will's mouth had been open, and it closed slowly as Ryo saw the betrayal sweep across his face. "I think I'm going to remember _you_ for hiding this from me."

His words cut deep, and Ryo felt it. Ryo was smart, but Will was smarter. He had _no_ hope of outwitting Will in an argument. But as smart as Will was, he was easily overcome by emotion—usually his insecurities or anxiety, but at that time, it was anger—something Ryo had never seen the boy demonstrate. But Ryo knew he'd have to reach Will emotionally rather than logically.

"I wanted to respect her decision." Ryo said, more desperately than he wanted to sound. "I was afraid that you might not love her as much if—"

"What would _you_ care about that?" Will demanded. "You didn't even cry when she died!"

"Will…" Ryo protested weakly. "I—"

But Will took several steps forward, the volume and the pain in his voice increasing with every second. "You say you were doing it all for me, but all you _really_ were doing was running away! If you were telling the truth about wanting me to love mom, then you wouldn't have told me the truth right now! You _ran_! You ran away so _you_ wouldn't have to _face me_."

Ryo grabbed him by the shoulders, lowering his head to Will's level, staring him in the eye. "Will, that's not tr—"

"Get your hands _off me_!" Will hissed, trying to pull away.

Ryo instinctively gripped harder, holding Will in place. The boy struggled and flailed, and Ryo let his left shoulder go just long enough for him to turn so Ryo grab him from behind, still careful not to irritate Will's broken right arm.

"You _bastard_!" Will screamed. "You're just like the Destroyer! You'll do anything just to hurt people!"

"You know me better than that!" Ryo insisted, not letting go. "I want to protect you!"

"No!" Will yelled sorrowfully. "You want to ditch me! You want to—"

The accusation wasn't finished as Will's words were overcome by sobbing. Ryo continued to hold him in place until he knew Will wouldn't do anything unexpected. Eventually he let go, and it took several more moments before Will finally turned around to look at him face-to-face.

"Will, I _swear_ to you—I would do absolutely anything to give you a good life." Ryo said slowly, sincerely.

Will looked at him carefully through teary eyes before he spoke. "Anything but be honest with me, right?"

Ryo's heart sank again, but he wouldn't give up on Will. He gently placed a hand on each shoulder.

"Will…" Ryo started. "I would _never_ abandon you…and I know I'll find a way to make this up to you, if you'll let me."

Will didn't answer, and Ryo tried to go for a hug—but Will shoved him back violently, even using his right arm, which he'd pulled out of the sling. The boy was evidently blinded by the pain, and stared back at Ryo hard.

The tension was unbearable, and Ryo could feel his heart pounding in his chest, waiting with a terrified anticipation of what would happen next.

Will turned and walked towards the door, holding his right arm crossed over his chest as if it _were_ still in the sling which dangled from his neck. He opened the door, and was halfway out of it before he turned back to Ryo.

"I hate you." He said.

Ryo felt like he'd just been stabbed. Then beaten. Then torn apart. And then shot. He watched as Will disappeared out of the apartment, and was frozen in place, left to do nothing but wonder if he'd just lost his brother forever.

* * *

Will walked along the street, quietly. It had been an hour since he'd been told the truth—that the one person he would have trusted his life to didn't respect him enough to tell him who his real parents were. Will had never felt so angry. Or so stupid. Or so humiliated—or so betrayed.

At first, he'd gone upstairs—partly to throw Ryo off incase he tried to look for him outside. Will had sat in the stairwell at the top floor—the maintenance level of the building. He'd cried for a few moments before he got a hold of himself. Will was wearing his favorite white hoodie, but he kept his right arm in the sling _underneath_ it—again, just incase Ryo were looking for him.

Will was torn. If Ryo had told him the truth months ago—or if Miriam had—it would be an entirely different situation. Even just the previous day—if some stranger came along with proof that Ryo was really his biological brother, Will would have been ecstatic. But it was that Ryo had _already_ known. And lied about it. Day in, and day out.

The others—had _they _known? Will looked up to Cronus almost as much as he did Ryo—did Cronus know? Or Takato, or Jeri, or Rika, or Kazu? Will was alone.

He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the D-Arc that Ryo had been hiding from him.

_No, I'm not alone._

Giz. Will had to know if Giz had been lying to him, too—just like everyone else. Ryo…their mom…everyone else. Will checked his back pockets—he'd left his wallet in the building, but he still had enough money with him to take a cab. He found one—he could see people that _might_ have been walking towards it, but Will jumped in quickly before the driver could notice.

"Hello." Will said, trying to sound better than he felt. The driver was an older man, with a bushy beard. Will's first thought was that the guy would do a great job playing Santa at the mall if he sat down and ate a few pies first.

"Hey, son." The man replied with a smile. "Where we going?"

"The Hypnos building, please." Will answered as he caught his breath from running over. He fastened his seatbelt, looking around at all the people outside for whom it was just a normal day.

"Can do." The should-be-Santa answered. "They're doing construction up here, so we'll have to take the long way around, if that's okay. I won't start the meter 'til we're, say, ten minutes away? Should save you a good bit of money."

"Thanks, that's very kind." Will replied politely.

"No problem." He gave a slight laugh. "I remember what it's like being a student—the travel costs of getting to campus sure add up."

Will felt a rush of guilt. The man thought Will was a student at the university.

"Actually, uh…" Will stammered. "I'm still only in high school."

"Oh." The man said thoughtfully. "Well, a promise's a promise, right?"

Will smiled slightly. "Thanks."

They chatted for a bit, and Will was glad to take his mind off of Ryo. Finally, the driver started the meter when they were about ten minutes away from Hypnos. The layout of the city had build upon a large hill, and they still had to go down the hill and drive a bit to get to the area that the Hypnos building had been built in.

But before they could, something happened.

The driver noticed it before Will did—something had hovering a foot or so above the road—something that shouldn't have been there. It was spherical, and it was almost as if it was growing, but Will simply couldn't describe it. The taxi turned left sharply to avoid it, Will's right side being forced against the side of the car, pain shooting from his arm throughout his body.

He squeezed his D-Arc in his left hand, as if would protect him. Will touched the D-Arc over his shoulder, wishing that it would stop the pain, but there was no such luck. The car tore through the guard, sliding down the hill rapidly, Will clinging the car-seat for dear life.

Will was still trying to process what had been on the road.

_It looked like—a portal._

Will's face trying to mask the pain, and he turned to the driver after the car had stopped.

"Are you okay?" Will asked, breathing heavily.

The man was still staring straight ahead, his hands gripping the wheel fiercely. Will could see his knuckles turning red and white.

Will tried to catch his breath, glancing around to try to figure out their location. They were still on a road, and it was a place Will recognized, but he was still in too much shock to be able to figure out where it was. There weren't any cars around—

_No—_

There was one. To Will's right, a white truck, driving straight at them, meters away.

He couldn't tell if the driver of the truck even knew they were there.

"Look out!" Will screamed.

But it was too late, and the car was struck. Will's body jerked first to the left from the impact, then back to the right on the recoil. His head slammed against the window and—being cracked heavily from the impact itself—it shattered against his skin. He felt the pieces of glass sticking out of the side of his face, but he couldn't tell if it hurt or not. His D-Arc was gone—most likely on the floor or out the window. Will tried to see if the driver was okay, but he couldn't find the strength to turn his head.

Most distracting of all, though, was the long, sharp piece of metal that had pierced straight through his right elbow and into his side.

Things got blurry, and hazy—and bright, even though his eyes were closed.

"Name?" a man's voice asked.

"No ID—there isn't anything on him." A woman's voice replied.

_Mom?_

No. It might have sounded a little like her, but—what had happened? Will couldn't remember…

"I think he's coming around." The woman said as Will tried unsuccessfully to open his eyes. He managed to get a glimpse of some moving rectangular tiles. He came to the realization that he was on a stretcher.

"Son, can you tell me your name?"

_Aki—no…Connors. William Connors…right?_

"Connors…" Will breathed quietly.

"Okay, great." The man—a paramedic, or maybe a doctor—said. "Connor, do you know how we can get ahold of your parents?

_My name's not Connor. It's—_

Something cold and metal touched his chest. He would have flinched if he remembered how to.

"Lung sounds are wet."The woman reported quickly.

_My lungs are just fine, thank you. I think._

Will had never felt like he did just then. Nothing was as clear to him as it usually was. He felt like he didn't weigh anything. Could barely feel his body. What happened to him?

His thought were cut short by something rubbery in his mouth—it tasted awful, and he managed to roll his head to one side—the only protest he was capable of.

_That's gross. Don't do that._

"It's to help you breathe, Connor." The man said soothingly.

_I _just_ told you, my name's not—_

He just wanted to go to sleep. Why wouldn't they let him go to sleep?

"Jan…" the man said suddenly.

They stopped pushing him around. Will still had his eyes closed, trying to get to sleep.

_If only they'd just _stop _talking._

"Ligature." He went on.

_Ligature…that's like a string, right?_

"Is there no other—" the woman started nervously.

"If we don't, he'll die."

* * *

Rika stepped out of the building, Jeri, Kazu, and Takato with her. She was grumpy, with good reason. They all were. They had just come from a meeting with Yamaki—rogue digimon were on the run, but the Tamers weren't allowed to fight—just capture them. Right. Like_ that's_ Rika's expertise. Really. Come on.

She wasn't too concerned about what would happen if they found a digimon. Since every other 'state-of-the-art' creation that turned out to be a piece of crap from Hypnos had broken down or been ineffective, Rika's expectations were way down low. But she had every bit of confidence that Renamon would break out of the building if Rika needed her. Rika found comfort in that. It was just the job they were supposed to do—

"So, know what's awesome?" Kazu asked suddenly.

Rika already knew the answer. "Pointless-as-hell missions?"

The taller boy nodded. "Yes. They're in fact, the greatest thing ever." He finished with false sincerity.

"Complaining about it's pretty awesome too." Takato grumbled. "Well, we _have_ gone through a few million dollars of technology from Hypnos, so we might as well do what they want."

"Too bad the technology was all crappy-like. _All _of it's broken down on us at one time or another." Rika countered. "If it cost them millions of dollars, it's 'cause their development staff is overpaid."

"That, and we're pretty underpaid." Kazu agreed. "Not being paid at all counts as underpaid, doesn't it?"

"Kazu's right, Takato…not about the money—well, _maybe_ about the money, but—" Jeri broke the chain of sarcasm that Rika had been starting to enjoy. "These portals can open up anywhere, right? On the ground, or anywhere above and below? I mean the odds of us finding one…"

"I could find one if Kazu promises me a coke." Takato declared.

Rika snickered at her friend's confidence, and Kazu's expected overreaction.

"Right, Captain Hangover." He scoffed. "How 'bout you work on finding yourself a glass of water?"

"You seem awfully sure of yourself." Jeri cooed, squeezing Takato's arm.

Rika glanced back, and paused when he realized that Takato wasn't smiling. In fact, he was pointing. Away from where they were walking. Rika stopped in her tracks before Jeri and Kazu did the same. It was a crowd. Police cars. Flashing lights.

Rika pulled out her cell phone, dialing Ryo's number. It rang twice before he answered it.

"Hello?" he asked spiritlessly.

"Hey, it's Rika." She said quickly. "Can you get to the Hypnos building anytime soon? We're supposed to find some rogue digimon, and we just—"

"W—what? I'm in the lobby, where are you?" He replied.

"Just outside, hurry up." She told him.

"Okay." He finished before hanging up. Rika was surprised—he usually got all fussy when she bossed him around. Not that she was trying to be a bitch, but she found it cute.

She shoved her phone back in her pocket, the others looking at her eagerly.

"Is he coming?" Kazu asked.

"Let's just go." Takato suggested. "If something's on the move, then we need to—"

Rika turned over to the door to see Ryo running around of it.

"Hey, sorry." Ryo said, flashing a smile. Rika stopped her eyebrow from raising. It was his picture smile. The fake one. He glanced over to the crowd a few blocks down. "Let's get going, then?"

Rika kept her poker face on, but she looked at him curiously without _looking_ curious. She couldn't quite place what was wrong with him. She'd obviously gotten to be able to read him pretty well, but he was doing a decent job of hiding it. Even Takato didn't seem to notice.

His eyes looked a little red. Not like he'd been crying—hell, Ryo _never_ cried—but like he was stressed about something.

_Not really the time for this_.

She could put Ryo under the microscope later—Takato was right, they had a job to do.

They hurried towards the crowd quickly, but nobody could see anything. Ryo and Kazu were the tallest among the Tamers, but not by enough for it to make a difference.

"Maybe we should split up." Jeri suggested. "See what kinds of stories we hear."

Everyone seemed to agree, and they started to disperse into the crowd. Ryo flashed Rika a smile before he turned away, and she thought about asking him just then, but reminded herself that there would be time for it later. If he was upset about something, she wanted to be there for him…but she wouldn't be if he didn't want her to be.

_Whine later. Get to work._

Rika started pushing her way through the crowd. She was pretty good at it, and it reminded her of the crowd back in the digital world that thought Will was the Destroyer. She'd managed to clear a crowd of potentially dangerous monsters easily—surely a bunch of normal people wouldn't be a problem.

Except it was. Towards the front was a row of police officers who she knew she couldn't get by. They forced everyone to back up, and Rika got pushed around a bit in the process.

_Fine, I'll just _ask.

She mentally slapped herself for not having come up with it sooner.

"Er…excuse me." Rika said politely, gently touching the arm of a bystander. It was a man, probably in his mid-thirties. Even though he was wearing a big jacket, he was shivering quit a bit—it gave Rika the impression he'd been standing there for a while. "Do you know what happened here?"

"There was a car accident about two hours ago." He answered. "At least one person died."

Rika's stomach sank. "Okay. Thank you." She bowed her head before backing off to find the others. She really didn't want to look at an outline on the ground the shape of someone's body. And it wasn't like seeing it would do any good. The crowd was pretty thick considering the accident had happened two hours before, and it took her several minutes to find Jeri, who was clearly trying to stop people from bumping into her sore hand.

"You go first." Jeri said cautiously.

"Car accident, two hours ago, at least one death." Rika explained. "You?"

"Car accident, driver got distracted by something he couldn't describe, one dead, two injured." Jeri replied. "Some people are openly saying it was a portal, and a lot of other people are telling them they're crazy."

"Which are we?" Takato asked grimly, arriving from behind Rika.

"Oh, we're definitely crazy." Jeri murmured. "But what do we do?"

Ryo gently touched Rika's shoulder, and she stepped to the side to let him in on the conversation.

"I don't think there's anything we can do." He said simply. "As far as anyone's saying, it was just a portal, nothing came out."

He was right…if they'd been in the digital world, there might have been something they could do—but as far as the real world went, they were out of options.

"Okay." Takato said finally. "We get back to Hypnos, and tell Yamaki that—"

—Takato was cut off by Kazu's arrival, paler than Rika had ever seen him. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"What's wrong?" Jeri asked nervously.

Rika wasn't even sure she wanted to know. Part of her had just hoped that Kazu was so astonished because a girl had just asked him on a date—but Rika doubted it, so something bad must have happened. Go figure.

"I was snooping around where the accident happened." He said, catching his breath. "I saw that the little pieces of glass went all the way to the garden on the other side of the road. I checked around, and—well, you'll never guess what I found."

He held out his hand, and showed them his discovery. At first, Rika didn't quite believe it—it was a D-Arc. Same shape as everyone else's, except its ring was dark orange. But however surprised Rika was—it was nothing to the looks of shock and horror that swept across the faces of Ryo and Takato.

* * *

"Will?" Ryo shouted.

Takato was trying to keep up with Ryo, who pushed the swinging hospital door.

_Will._

Will had been involved in the accident. Takato wasn't exactly religious, but every part of him was praying that Will wasn't the death that they'd been told about. He must have dropped his D-Arc in the accident—if Kazu hadn't found it, they wouldn't even be looking for him.

Ryo had told everyone else the truth about Will—that he was a Tamer, and that he was his brother. They'd all been surprised, of course, except for Takato, who already knew. He was impressed with how well Rika took it. He admired that she was so respectful of Ryo's privacy, however much crap they gave each other in public.

Everyone was—to say the least—scared shitless. Someone in the accident had died. The thought of it terrified Takato—so he had no idea what it was doing to Ryo. Jeri had both hands latched onto Takato's arm, the wooden splints holding her injured fingers in place feeling strange against his skin. Rika and Kazu were mostly quiet bringing up the rear, but looked equally worried.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" the receptionist asked Ryo, clearly trying to quiet him down.

"William Connors…where is he?" Ryo demanded clearly.

She typed the name into her computer, while Ryo tapped his foot anxiously.

"I'm sorry, nobody by that record."

Takato felt a rush of hope, that maybe Will _hadn't_ been involved in the accident. He looked to his best friend, who he could tell _wasn't _feeling the same optimism.

"He's 15, he's got blonde hair," Ryo stammered. "and blue eyes, and he's small, only about 110 pounds, and he's—"

"Wait, there _was_ someone like that brought in a few hours ago." She recalled suddenly. "He didn't have any ID…"

Takato felt Jeri squeeze his arm, and he looked at her nervously.

"Can we see him?" Takato asked carefully.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, he's still in the operating room."

_He's being operated on…?_

"What's he—?" Ryo started to ask.

"His right elbow was pierced through completely by a piece of the other car." The woman explained. "It went on into his side, just under his ribs, and he's still undergoing surgery. I'm sorry, I can't say any more, but I'll page one of the attending doctors to come when they're finished." She replied.

Takato was pissed, but he knew it wasn't her fault. Ryo looked absolutely lost. Takato glanced to the others. Everyone looked and felt the same way. Takato gave Ryo a gentle slap on the chest before indicating one of the chairs behind him, where he could sit down. Ryo nodded absentmindedly and did as he was told. Takato gave a small nod to Rika, who then moved to sit beside him.

An hour past in utter silence before Takato determined he needed to take a walk if he was to remain sane. Jeri came with him.

"I can't believe this is happening." He breathed.

Jeri said nothing, but nodded.

"There's gotta be something we can do…!" Takato insisted, trying to keep himself composed.

"Takato…" she said soothingly. "We just gotta be there for him. Him and Ryo both."

She was right, he knew. He just didn't _like_ that she was right. She was holding his hand, and he pulled it towards his face, planting a kiss on the back of it before he headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

He felt bad about having to leave for a few minutes, but Takato _would_ be there for them both. He just needed to make a quick stop first.

* * *

Kazu tossed the magazine onto the pile, silently cursing whichever idiot decided that publishing celebrity gossip was a good idea.

They'd been there for three hours, and barely anything had been said. The silence, the crappy magazines, and the fact that nobody would tell them anything about Will was starting to drive Kazu mad. He didn't deal well with hospitals, or awkward, silent moments—let alone awkward, silent moments _in_ hospitals.

Takato had disappeared for about fifteen—maybe twenty minutes, but had come back with a small yellow gift box for Will, and a backpack of bottles of water and juice for everyone else. Which Kazu was grateful for, since the building's cafeteria was closed, and the room was slightly overheated.

Kazu looked over to Takato. He had given up his seat to an elderly man, and sat stretched out on the floor, his back against Jeri's pant legs. Kazu could tell he was taking it pretty hard.

Jeri was on the chair behind Takato, a hand gently rested on each of his shoulders. She'd taken off the wooden splints that had been taped under her broken fingers—something Takato and Kazu had both questioned her about—but she insisted they were fine.

Kazu silently thought about all the families and friends of victims in the D-Reaper's attack. If it had been so unbearable and horrible sitting in the waiting room, not knowing if their loved ones were okay. The only time Kazu had ever done it was when Jeri had been shot, the better half of a year ago.

Rika sat next to Ryo, her left hand on his back. Kazu could see her gently rub it every four and a half minutes, nearly to the second. He watched as she stared at Ryo sadly, clearly wishing that she could do something to help.

_That's how we all feel_.

Kazu didn't know Will as well as the rest of them—but Kazu could tell that he was a good person, and that the fact that it was Will that had been involved in the accident was a tragedy in itself. Will had been kind to him—when Kazu had been reflecting upon how close he'd come to sharing the same fate as Adrie, or even Henry—Will had convinced him it wasn't his fault. Will had been kind...

Ryo was leaning forward in his seat. His elbows were on his knees, and his hands were in his palms. Kazu had known Ryo for several years, but seeing him there was something entirely new to him. When Ryo had explained his fight with Will, he'd mentioned that the last thing that Will said was that he hated him. Kazu found it hard to believe that someone as gentle as Will would have said anything so harsh, but Kazu knew better than most the kinds of things people would say when they were angry. Still, looking at Ryo, Kazu couldn't help but compare his eyes to Will's, and wonder why he hadn't figured it out himself.

Finally, something different happened—a doctor stepped into the room.

"Mr. Connors?"

All of the Tamers stood up, gathering around the man.

"I'm his brother." Ryo replied.

"Right. The metal spike that penetrated your brother's side avoided any vital organs—an inch to any direction and he'd be dead. There were no severe internal traumas to his respiratory system as the paramedics initially thought."

Nobody dared say anything, or even move, and Kazu knew why—there was a 'but'.

"But the injury to his arm was much more damaging. The elbow joint itself was essentially shattered—a result of the car accident combining with his previously existing injuries." The doctor paused. "All the surgeons agreed that the only way to save his life was for them to perform an elbow disarticulation."

Kazu looked to Takato, who was the only one among them who did well in biology class.

"That's—an amputation…?" Takato said quietly.

"Yes." The doctor replied. "In order to save his body and his life, we had to remove the arm to prevent the internal bleeding from spreading."

_Remove the arm. They cut off his arm._

Jeri buried her face in Takato's chest, weeping. Takato hugged her back, and Kazu could see the tears streaming down his face, too. Rika's mouth was open, her face frozen in shock. Ryo looked absolutely lost.

"Can I see him?" Ryo asked finally.

The doctor went silent for a few seconds.

"When he temporarily regained consciousness, he specifically insisted that the only one be allowed in be the one named Kazu." He explained. "And he said that 'only if he feels like it'."

Kazu felt everyone's eyes turn on him. Why would Will want to talk to _him_? His mouth went dry and his body tensed up. Kazu was there for support—what if the doctor had misunderstood something, and Will _didn't_ want to see him? What if he got mad, and Kazu had just made things worse? What if—

"Will you go see him?" the doctor asked, breaking the silence and Kazu's thoughts.

"Y—yeah." Kazu stammered. "Of course."

He looked over to Ryo, who was clearly despairing. His eye's met Kazu's, and Kazu gave him a pat on the arm quickly.

"I'll talk to him for you, okay?"

Kazu and Ryo hadn't been incredibly friendly towards each other since Ryo had run off to the States and ignored all of the e-mails Kazu had sent, wanting to know if he was alright. But it wasn't the time for that. He started towards the door the doctor had moved himself to, but was stopped by Takato, who had grabbed hold of his sleeve.

He passed Kazu the yellow gift box, the lid of it clumsily popping open as the cardboard bent in Kazu's grip. He looked down at it, and then to Takato, before holding the lid closed, taking a deep breath, and following the doctor.

"Go down that hallway, and it's the second on the right." The doctor explained, before putting his stethoscope on and devoting his attention to a nearby patient. Kazu took a deep breath and continued walking.

When he arrived at the right room, he'd bumped into a young woman that was wearing the scrubs the nurses wore. She was probably in her mid-twenties. Woulda been cute if she didn't look so sad. He didn't have to ask to know that she was being emotional after being around Will. Kazu had no idea how he'd react. He had no idea how _Will_ would be. The accident he'd been in—and the surgery after—it would change his life forever…what was Kazu supposed to say to him? Was it even Kazu's place to say _anything_?

He flashed an apologetic smile to the young woman, and she did the same, though neither said anything. Kazu had never known anyone that had had an arm amputated…he didn't know what to say. What to do. What Will would say, or what Will would do. Kazu just didn't know how to help.

_Start by going inside like he asked._

Kazu knocked on the door gently before he stepped into the room. Will was conscious, but he didn't move; but Kazu was on Will's right—meaning that the focus of Kazu's attention was where Will's right arm used to be.

_God…_

Kazu had no idea what to say. He wasn't one for words to begin with—but trying to comfort a fifteen year old who just lost his arm after feeling betrayed by the only person he trusted? Kazu was at a complete loss. He didn't even know why it was _him_ Will had instructed the nurse to let in.

"Hey." Kazu blurted out quietly.

Will was expressionless, and barely moved his eyes to meet Kazu's, giving only the slightest of nods.

_How you holding up? Is there anything I can do for you? What's—_

Nothing Kazu could say would help. Anything he could think of sounded too patronizing, or condescending, or—whatever. And Kazu didn't want to make things worse.

So he decided not to say anything. He pulled up a chair, sitting backwards, leaning over the back of it, his elbows on the bed, his chin in his palms.

There was a full minute of silence—except for the beeping of the monitors, before Kazu decided he needed to know—condescending or not.

"Are you alright?"

Several more seconds of silence, aside from the beeps, and Kazu was becoming increasingly worried. He wasn't good at making upset people feel better—why had Will even wanted to see him…?

"Everyone's here for you." Kazu said quickly. "Just outside."

_Three. Four. Five._

"I heard about the D-Arc." Kazu said, apparently more to himself than to Will. "You and Giz, huh? I woulda thought Wisemon. I can show you some card tactics sometime if you're up for it."

Will didn't say anything, but he at least made eye contact.

_Well, we're getting somewhere, at least._

"Well, now that you've got a D-Arc, we've got a better chance of getting Cronus and Henry back." Kazu declared. He was really trying, but he wasn't sure he was doing a very good job.

A pause.

"I hope so." Will replied.

_There we go._

Kazu tried to think of something else to say—his hope was that if he could _keep_ Will talking, he might be able to make him feel better.

"So what've they got you on?" Kazu asked, indicating the bag of fluid connected to Will's left arm.

"Tramadol." Will answered. "It's okay, I guess."

Kazu grinned. He had _no_ idea what parasetta-whatever actually _was_, but he still found Will's simple critique of it amusing. "Complain, see what they bring you."

"I said it was too cold a little while ago and they brought me popsicles." Will recalled. "I didn't quite get it."

Kazu smirked.

"But you didn't say anything 'cause the nurse was pretty, right?" he asked, briefly recalling the dark-haired woman he'd passed on his way in.

Will didn't answer—but this time, Kazu's laughter filled the silence.

"That's the spirit." Kazu concluded, fumbling with the small yellow box in his hands. He'd nearly forgotten that Takato had given it to him. He knew what was inside, of course—it was what Takato felt was so necessary to stop by his home for. Kazu smiled smiled softly at the box for a moment before he set it on Will's stomach.

"What's this?" Will asked, picking it up in his hand.

"You open it." Kazu taunted with a smirk.

Will did, and carefully pulled the gift out—Takato's goggles. They were worn, but Takato had apparently recently replaced the strap on it, so there was no chance of them falling off. Kazu wouldn't have expected Will to have known the emotional value of them, but it was clear he did—from the look of complete gratitude on Will's face.

"Guess who wants you to have these?" Kazu asked sarcastically.

Will looked shocked. "R—really?"

_Wow. Takato's not even in the room and he's doing a better job cheering him up than me._

Kazu would have been jealous if he wasn't glad to see the boy's mood improve noticeably.

Will struggled a second to sit up—there was a brief moment where Kazu considered helping him, but he decided against it. Will—he was insecure. Dependant. Kazu thought it was important that he not make Will feel helpless. Then again, if Will _asked_ for help, then Kazu would, of course.

The one-armed blonde boy shifted a little left and right after he'd sat up, clearly not used to his new weight distribution. He held the goggles in his hand, looking at them intently.

"He really doesn't care if I have them?" Will asked carefully, still in disbelief.

"Well, I'm sure he _cares_. He _wants_ you to have 'em." Kazu shrugged. "We haven't called him Gogglehead in a while anyways."

Again, Will fumbled to put them on, and Kazu made the conscious decision to wait to be asked before he'd help. But Will got them on—on his own.

Kazu paused for a moment, before reaching to pull the goggles down, so they'd hang off his neck rather than through his hair.

Will seemed confused.

"Come on." Kazu scoffed. "Someone as smart as you's gotta know having hair like Takato's a bad thing."

Will ran his hand through his hair, suddenly pausing. "Is that why you guys called him 'Gogglehead'? Like hat-head, or bed-head, but with goggles?"

Kazu countered a question with a question. "How bad is it that that's the most philosophical thing I've heard all week?"

Will nodded. "Pretty bad, I think."

_Three. Four. Five._

Will looked away for a few seconds. "Did you hear about what Ryo told me?"

Kazu nodded when Will met his eye again. Ryo's eyes. Kazu's noticed the similarity before, but he never thought that they were actually related. "Yeah."

A beat.

"How long did you know?" Will asked carefully.

Kazu looked at his watch. "Four hours, maybe three and a half?"

The boy gave a half smile, but he seemed uneasy about it. "If—if you knew before, would you have told me?"

Kazu hesitated, and he processed the situation in his mind. It took a few seconds, but he came up with his conclusive answer.

"No." he admitted. "But I would have asked Ryo tell you."

Will didn't say anything, but Kazu knew he was at least thinking about it, and not ignoring him entirely.

"I don't, uh, _agree_ with some of the things Ryo's done. A lot of things, actually. Running away to the States, hiding this stuff from you…" Kazu explained carefully. "But I _get_ it. As much as he comes off as a pretentious, condescending bastard sometimes, he's got a good heart." He went on.

Will shook his head a little. "He lied to me about—about my _life_. He knew that my mom was lying to me, and even after—even after she died, he still lied to me. To my face. Every day."

Kazu had no idea if he was making things better or worse. He mentally slapped himself for talking about Ryo at all…Will had just lost his damn _arm_, and there Kazu was making the poor guy even more upset. He struggled to think of a way to change the topic, but he couldn't come up with anything.

Defeated, Kazu nodded slowly. "It was a dickhead kind of thing to do, yeah." he admitted. "But he really does care about you."

As little as Kazu talked with Ryo lately, he knew that much was true. When they'd started the mission—before Will joined up—Ryo talked about him a lot. He was always enthusiastic—and proud.

"He thinks you hate him." Kazu went on quietly, uneasily.

Will met his eye. "I do."

The tone in his voice was one Kazu had never heard from Will, before. It was pure and utter contempt—it wasn't the accident that had changed Will—it wasn't even the medication—it was his argument with Ryo.

But Kazu wasn't sure he believed him.

"Look I—I know this isn't about me, but…" Kazu started awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I've got a sister. Aya. Love her to bits. Same age as you, actually, but anyways—my parents…the last conversation I had with my mom…I told her she was a terrible mother. The last discussion I had with my dad involved me threatening to kill him if he touched Aya. I—I hate them. Both of them. I've hated them for a long time. Aside from Jeri, you're the only one I've told that to. But I—"

Kazu continued, looking at Will. "But I wish I didn't. Hate them, I mean. I wish I cared about them—I wish they cared about me the way Ryo cares for you."

Will shook his head slightly, barely whispering—no, whimpering. "He lied to me about my entire life…"

Kazu nodded. "Yeah. And that was wrong. Even if he had good reasons—I'd kick his ass myself if—" Kazu stopped, trying to regain his focus. "Be as pissed off at him as you need to be, as _long_ as you need to be. But don't lose your brother, Will."

He counted the beeps. The heartbeats.

_Six. Seven. Eight. Nine._

Will finally nodded. It was very slight, but it was a nod.

"If I go get Ryo, can I send him in?" Kazu asked. "You don't have to say anything to him, but will you at least hear him out?"

The nod came quicker that time.

"Okay." Kazu said aloud, standing up, but leaving the chair in place. He had a hand on the door's handle before he stopped, glancing back at Will. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go for it."

"Why'd you say that I could come in? Why me?" Kazu asked curiously.

Will met his eye. "'Cause you're the only one who doesn't talk down to me."

It wasn't entirely true—_all_ of them took Will seriously, Kazu included, but—but it was still one of the nicer things that anyone had said to Kazu in some time, and he felt a little too much pride to make the correction. He flashed a smile back to Will, and opened the door.

* * *

Ryo stood up when he could see Kazu heading back towards the waiting room. The others rallied around him, too.

"Is he alright?" Ryo asked nervously.

"Yeah." Kazu confirmed. "He seems fine."

"How's he handling the—" Rika started without finishing.

Ryo knew what she was thinking—amputation.

Kazu nodded. "He's a little drugged out, but he's okay."

Ryo finally got the courage to ask. "Did he say if he'll let me see him?"

"He's pretty pissed off at you." Kazu said bluntly. "But I talked him into it. The condition was that he'll listen if he doesn't have to say anything…sorry, but I didn't know how else to get him to agree. Room E-14."

_Thank you._

"I appreciate it."Ryo said sincerely. He squeezed Rika's hand gently before heading into the door Kazu had just come from. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see Jeri giving Kazu a hug.

Ryo had been hurt when he'd heard that Will didn't want to speak with him right away, and that he wanted to talk to Kazu, instead. Then again—Ryo wouldn't have been surprised if Will never wanted to talk to him again. Ryo had hoped that Will would have been _glad_ to know the truth but—

—Ryo forced himself to stop wallowing in his self-pity. His brother had just had his arm removed. He needed to be there for him.

He found the room—E-14, just like Kazu had said. The door was closed over most of the way, but not entirely, so Ryo didn't need to use the handle. He pushed it open slowly, and stepped into the small room.

The lights weren't on, but the sun was setting just outside the window, so it was very well lit. Everything was orange. Like Will's D-Arc.

Will was laying on the bed, though he made no acknowledgement that Ryo had even entered the room. Ryo looked at where his right arm had been, a white bandage wrapped around where his arm now ended, just above the elbow. Ryo could see Takato's goggles draped around Will's neck. There was a chair next to the bed, backwards. It was how Kazu always sat.

Ryo turned the chair around, standing in front of it and pulling it closer to him as he sat down on it, facing Will. Ryo propped his elbows on the bed, his right hand under his chin, his left just under his nose, and about an inch in front of his mouth.

"I know that you don't want me here." Ryo said sadly. "And I know you don't want to talk to me, so I won't try and make you, but I—I need you to know…"

Ryo wasn't strong enough to look at Will's face to see if he was looking back at him.

"I'm so sorry." Ryo said quietly.

His eyes welled up.

"I knew I should have told you, but I was scared—" He looked to his brother, who was looking back at him. "Scared that you'd be looking at me the way you are right now…like I'm someone you don't even know."

Ryo buried his face in the bed, the top of his head brushing against Will's side. And for the first time in what felt like ages, Ryo cried. He was always the one who had everything together. Who everyone could count on. One of the strong ones. But he was broken into a million pieces—and he cried.

"I'm so sorry…" he sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry…"

* * *

Well, there ya go.

Points of View had me annoyed to all ends here, and was one of the reasons this took so long to get posted. Originally, just about every scene was from either Will's or Ryo's POV. But I think it worked a little better staying away from them as much as possible, 'cause it was awkward to read from their perspectives since they're both so screwed up emotionally at this point.

The lack of Ryuki-ness was a conscious decision...I felt it was absolutely important that there be as little as possible—the chapter needed to be about Ryo and Will. There was originally a scene with him and Rika at the beginning on their lunch-date, but I cut it out—I felt that any Rika-lovey stuff would have taken away from the importance of the chapter's storyline…that, and this chapter was long as it is, and it only had the one storyline going.

I was tearing at my hair trying to figure out who Will should be talking to when he woke up. I felt it was important that it be either Takato or Kazu. Takato, because both he and Will care about Cronus the most (and I really thought the goggles would be nice), and Kazu because, one, he's the only one that treats Will like an adult, and two, Takato's a little too close to Ryo—so is Rika, and Jeri'd be too upset. Kazu wins by default! But hey, I thought it turned out pretty nicely for his character.

I put a lot of thought into the dynamic between Will and Ryo here. I was careful to make the accident something that was purely bad luck, and not _really_ anyone's fault. I did my best to keep Ryo in character of who he is…so Will is justified for being angry at Ryo, and his reaction was believable, but Ryo is still a great guy that's likable. Side-note, I believe this is the only time he's _really_ cried in this series since the second-to-last chapter of Crescendo when he left Rika, and thought that Takato was dead.

A lot of the upcoming chapters focus on Ryo. He's obviously gonna be more than a little emotional about the stuff that happened in this chapter, so expect some Ryuki. The three most important people to Ryo are Rika, Takato, and Will. Some of the upcoming chapters look into his relationships with all of them a lot more in depth.

Review!

-N


	25. Preparations

Woohoo for long-overdue chapters! What? No, I'm not easily distracted—hey, look, a dog! The short version on the lack of updates is that I was in the middle of looking for a new home to move this story to (some of the decisions made by the staff of this site are really, really turning me away), when my computer needed to be reformatted, so I lost a whole pile of work. Bleh.

-N

* * *

Jeri stopped jogging when she realized Kazu wasn't beside her. Still running in place, she turned to see that he had stopped half a block back, resting against a mailbox, breathing heavily. She headed back towards him, not slowing her pace.

She'd suggested that he join her for a run. Apparently, it wasn't his specialty.

"Come on, soldier." She ordered as she jogged circles around him. "_Move_!"

She saw a flash of irritation on his face before he changed his expression to that of complete innocence.

"Why are you yelling at me?"

Of course, his question resulted in exactly what he wanted—several people on the streets looking at Jeri as if she was insane.

_Damn you, Kazu._

She grabbed him by the arm and tugged him away. But he pulled his arm back to himself like a pouting child—still walking, but a defiant declaration that he was _not_ in the mood to run anymore.

"I don't wanna play anymore." He muttered breathlessly.

"Wuss." She taunted him.

"Or _maybe_ you're on drugs. Steroids, that kind of thing. I bet you actually _deal_ them, too." Kazu accused her thoughtfully. "Jogging-enhancing needles, is that it?"

"You caught me." She sighed, putting on her guiltiest pout. "I'm _really_ the empress of an underground drug syndicate."

Again, she'd played right into Kazu's plot—more than a few people were staring at her.

"I'm not _actually_." She protested when a young couple started to point and whisper.

She grabbed Kazu's arm and started making him walk again.

It had been two days since the accident that cost a driver his life, and Will his arm. Will had been moved home, though nobody except Ryo and Kazu had seen him. He'd become reclusive—it was all so upsetting, for everyone. Will would only talk to Kazu, though Kazu wouldn't ever say about what, other than that Will was okay. Kazu was house-hopping. Since he'd concurrently walked out and was _kicked_ out of his home, he'd spent a night at Ryo and Will's place, and two at Jeri's.

An announcement had been made at the school about the car accident. Jeri'd gotten a few phone calls from some of her friends, asking if it was '_that guy she was with sometimes_'. Ryo was pretty popular, so Will was well-known by association, even if few of the students actually knew his name.

On that morning, the Tamers had a meeting with Yamaki—they were to go back to the digital world and take care of the Destroyer. Of course, Hypnos made it sound so much simpler than it really was…but Jeri knew it was the Tamers' own fault for hiding so much from them.

Hypnos had been told that the Destroyer existed—that was all. Not that it had taken residence in Henry's body, and not that Cronus had absorbed a great deal of the digital world's power to go fight it. They had no idea what to expect when they went back, and Jeri suspected that even Hypnos wouldn't be prepared to deal with what they were about to. Jeri just had a really bad feeling about everything.

Her thoughts were cut short by her phone ringing. Kazu seemed appreciative when she stopped walking to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jeri."

"Oh, hi, Rika." Jeri said, brightening. "What's up?"

"Uh," Rika sounded nervous. "How did you go about telling your dad and your stepmom that we'd be going _back_ to the digital world?"

She winced. "Just kind of told them, I guess."

Jeri paused. She came very close to instinctively asking Kazu how he told _his_ parents—which, obviously, he hadn't.

_Might have told his sister, though._

"Hey, how did you tell Aya we're heading back?" Jeri asked him, still holding the phone to her ear.

He looked down guiltily, and Jeri knew the answer.

"The verdict is that goodbyes are awkward." Jeri reported to Rika, suddenly wishing she hadn't used the word 'goodbyes'—it made it sound so much more…depressing

She silently cursed herself for making everyone glum.

"Hey, we should all do something fun tonight." Jeri perked up, saying it into the phone while giving Kazu a playful kick to the leg to get his attention as well.

"Like?" Kazu and Rika both countered suspiciously.

"Let's go dancing, or rock climbing or something." Jeri was perking up more. "I've got all this energy pent up."

"I've noticed." Kazu muttered, still catching his breath from their run.

"You know, count me in." Rika said thoughtfully. "But I should probably start going through with this. I'll talk to you later, and we can figure out the details."

"Okay, see ya." Jeri replied, but Rika had already hung up.

She was glad that the whole communication channels were opening up so much between Rika and her mom. Things were pretty good in her own home, too. At least two of the Tamers' family lives were healthy. The others, though…

As far as she knew, Kazu didn't have any plans long-term about what he'd do when the mission was over. She really doubted he'd ever go back home—and Jeri was glad for that. She could see it when nobody else could—how angry he was sometimes. He hid it well, though, she'd give him that. She made a mental note to nag him to telling Aya what was happening, though. Kazu's younger sister was such a little sweetheart. Besides, she didn't want Kazu feeling like he didn't have anything to come back to the real world to.

Jeri was actually unsure how Takato's family was holding up. She knew they were getting increasingly worried about him. He'd stopped being so _obvious _that he was obsessing about Cronus twenty-three hours in the day, but they'd told her they knew he was hiding something. Jeri figured it was that Takato had no idea what to do once they got back. She'd had to talk him into admitting that much to her.

Jeri classified Henry's family as 'breaking', though they just didn't know it. She found it motivating, actually—it made saving Henry all the more important. She'd wanted to tell Henry's father, Janyu, but the others disagreed. Jeri thought that he might be able to come up with a way to help, but she understood the others' point—he shouldn't have to know about the horrible things his son had been doing—had been _forced_ into doing.

As far as Ryo and Will went—Jeri really had no idea. She just hoped that they could work through it, because the last thing either of them needed was to suffer more than they already had.

"You really should talk to Aya before we go…" Jeri trailed off, wishing she had a better lead-in to the conversation.

"—incase we don't make it back?" Kazu finished glumly.

It really hadn't been what she was thinking. That is, it had been in the _back_ of her mind, but it still wasn't the motivator that made her suggest that to him.

"Er, incase she worries herself sick wondering about her big brother." She corrected him.

"Ah." Kazu scratched his head guiltily. "She'll be fine, she knows I'm not one for that."

It was his call, and Jeri decided not to push it any more.

She gave Kazu a poke. "Dancing tonight. Yes or no?"

Jeri knew that rock climbing had been mentioned too, but she really did love to dance. And even though Takato never wanted to go, he always had fun when she made him. He was a typical boy—nervous about dancing. Cronus always enjoyed it—though he really wasn't modest enough to _not_ have fun when dancing.

"Mmm." Kazu eyeballed her suspiciously. "I'm not dancing without a beer in my hand."

Jeri tilted her head. "That's pretty rhetorical. Got a fake?"

"Of course." He snorted.

"Then go for it. Just don't get too bad." She warned him. "If you're hung over and the transit to the digital world makes you hurl on me, then the uncontrollable rage brought on my addiction to cardio-enhancing steroids will be at the forefront of your problems."

* * *

"You're leaving again?" Rumiko asked finally.

Rika gave her mom a reassuring smile. "Yeah."

Within the two seconds that had passed, Rika knew that her mother was handling it better than she had a few years before. Mostly from the fact that she wasn't weeping.

Still, it wasn't fun for Rika to see her mom look so upset. Rika struggled to think of something convincing to say that might have made the atmosphere lighter.

Since the accident, Rika hadn't seen much of Ryo. She felt conflicted—when she wasn't around him, she felt like she was abandoning him in some way. But when she was around him, she felt like she was getting in the way of him and Will getting over their fight. Even though she hadn't seen Ryo much since then, they made up for it by talking on the phone. They'd actually talked from one in the morning for two hours just that morning.

Ryo wasn't doing great. He didn't know what to do, and Rika didn't know what to tell him. She made it clear that she was there for them both, whatever they needed, though.

Things were difficult for everyone, it seemed. Telling her mom they'd be going back—Rika had been putting it off since they even got back from the digital world. But it wasn't something that she could procrastinate any further—for one, there was no _time_ left, and secondly, it wasn't fair to her mom.

After Rika had gotten off of the phone with Jeri, she'd headed down to the kitchen to sit down with her mom. They each had a cup of some herbal tea Rika's grandmother bought and talked about some things—most recently, Will's surgery, to which Rika confessed she didn't know how he was doing. She'd given Rika some gifts to take over, which she still had yet to do.

Eventually, Rika had gotten the guts to just blurt out that they'd be leaving the next day. She wished that she'd been able to use some tact in bringing it up—but unfortunately, that just wasn't the case.

It was strange, the way Rika knew they both felt. Like a perfectly healthy, normal family. Sure, things between them hadn't been horrible in the last year, but they had so few heart-to-heart discussions that whenever one _did_ happen, Rika certainly remembered it. Most recently, her mom giving Rika boyfriend advice about Ryo.

"I know you don't like me going off on my own like this, but I—" Rika started quietly.

"—I'm not worried." She cut her off.

"What…?" Rika wasn't sure if she'd misheard that.

She never doubted that her mom loved her, but worrying when Rika went off on these things was something her mother did very consistently. The idea of her not worrying at a time like that was—

"I'm not worried, because—" her mother stammered, struggling for the right words.

A few seconds passed, and as awkward as they were, Rika didn't rush her mother, who looked monumentally thoughtful throughout the time. Finally, her mother met her eye.

"Because you're _not_ on your own, sweetheart. You have all those amazing friends."

Rika had never been more impressed with her mother. Just less than two years before, Rika's mom had been _blaming_ Rika's friends for the fact that her daughter wasn't 'normal'. But there she was—not only ready to let Rika go and fight who-knows-what, but trusting Rika's friends, too.

By the time that Rika realized she'd stood up and walked to the other side of the table, she was already hugging her mom fiercely.

"I'm so proud of you, Rika." Her mom said quietly.

Rika was proud of her mom, too, but she was too overwhelmed to say anything. Her mom was hugging her back, and Rika could smell her perfume from her sweater.

Eventually she let go and sat back down at the table, a little embarrassed from her overt display of emotion.

_Hey, at least I didn't cry._

"Are you and your friends going to celebrate before you leave?" her mom asked with a smile. "You should do something special."

_Read our minds._

"Yeah." Rika nodded. "Some of us are going dancing tonight."

Rika paused for a second, realizing that there was still one thing she wasn't prepared for. She looked to her mom.

"Can you help me find an outfit?"

* * *

Takato hated driving. And parking, for that matter.

_At least it's not parallel._

He had that to be thankful for. Cronus used to tease him about his hatred of driving frequently—actually, most of his friends did, except Jeri. Cronus just did it the most, since they were together so frequently. Takato never thought he'd actually _miss_ that.

"Makes you wonder how people can drive buses." A voice called from the passenger seat. Cronus. "Or limos, or those big transport trucks…when driving a car is such a pain itself, I mean."

He wasn't real. Takato knew even before he looked over. But he _did _still look, and sure enough, Cronus was sitting in the passenger seat, seatbelt on.

"Practice makes perfect." Takato quoted, not allowing himself to take his eyes off of his hallucination.

Cronus looked just how he had the last time Takato had seen him—red leather suit, black straps all over him, holding knives to his arms and legs. Actually, it wasn't how Cronus looked the _last_ time Takato'd seen him…then, Cronus had just absorbed the Guardian, and even his eyes couldn't be seen past the light.

The worst part was that it wasn't the first time Takato had imagined him. It was just the first time that Takato had let himself speak to his delusion.

"That's true." Cronus answered with a nod.

"Where—_are_ you…?" Takato asked, knowing he wouldn't get any new information.

Cronus laughed. "Right now? Probably the digital world, still. _This_ me is all in your head, you know that."

_Right. I'm crazy. Forgot about that._

"So _why_ am I seeing you?" he asked, giving into his clearly under-rested mind.

"Maybe it's stress." Cronus answered thoughtfully. "Or guilt?"

Takato was almost too afraid to ask.

"And what am I feeling guilty about?"

"Well, you brought me into this world, so to speak." The image of Cronus shrugged. "Maybe you feel guilty that I'm putting everyone in danger?"

Takato stared at him, wishing it really _was_ Cronus. It was actually something Takato had actively been trying _not_ to think about—what Cronus had done. They still had no idea what affect claiming the power of the Guardian would have on the rest of the digital world.

"Or maybe it's that you don't know what to do with me when you find me." Cronus went on. The image of him shimmered into a familiarly bloody one—with a shallow cut on his neck. It was how Cronus had looked during their fight in the Destroyer's base, when Cronus had tried to get Takato to kill him.

"I could never kill you." Takato said flatly, determined.

Cronus looked back at him before changing into someone else. A girl, who he'd only met once.

"I don't know, you've had to make some tough calls." Adrie sighed. "Dr. Nonaka, Noria, me…? I _was_ a tough call to make, right?" she added hopefully.

Of course she had been. Reed had given Takato the gun. Cronus had taken it from Takato. There hadn't been any alternative to what had happened to her…it hadn't been a choice, but—but if _Takato_ had done it, then Cronus wouldn't have had to…

He didn't let himself answer, and he didn't respond when he started to see the blood drip from the familiar bullet-hole that appeared in the image.

"Or maybe it's that you're just worried about me."

His hallucination changed to Reed, who looked—better-groomed than he usually did whenever Takato saw him in the digital world. Clean-shaven—none of that chronic five o' clock shadow stuff.

Takato smirked to himself.

"I don't like you enough to be worried about you."

It wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't entirely false, either. Takato just didn't know how to feel about Reed. Even though he'd been manipulating many of the events from the beginning, he'd also gone to some extreme lengths to achieve his own goals. Torturing Takato and Cronus, putting Rika, Ryo, and Will in danger, nearly having Kazu killed…

But Takato couldn't help but empathize with Reed, even after everything he'd done. Reed had killed dozens, maybe even hundreds—thousands—of digimon with his own hand…he might have even killed humans, too. The part that Takato hated the most, though, was that he'd have done the same thing himself. Reed was doing everything for Carter. Takato would have done the same for Cronus.

"Yeah, but I've told you before how I used to be just like you." Reed recalled. "The whole optimistic-dreamer crap."

_About ten seconds before you started torturing me. Wait, no, _while_ you were torturing me._

"But maybe that's not true anymore, though." Reed went on. "I mean, you're getting pretty single-minded now. You know Cronus and Henry both have to be stopped, no matter what. _Maybe_, now, it's _you_ who is just like _me_? Maybe _that's_ why you hate me. Because you see yourself in me."

Apparently, Takato's subconscious wasn't going to demand any response to that one.

"I mean, no matter how many people we have around us, we're both _really_ alone…we both had digimon partners that were—_special_…" Reed contemplated. "We both have been lying to the girlfriends—"

"—I haven't been lying to Jeri." Takato retorted.

Not surprisingly, the image turned into Jeri. She looked at him lovingly.

"Takato, I'm really glad you're okay. And I know you are, because if you really loved me, you'd tell me that you barely sleep anymore, right?"

A rush of guilt forced its way through him.

_I don't want to worry you._

"Because we're a team, and—"

Jeri changed to someone else.

"—we'll always be friends, right?" Henry finished. "And friends don't give up on each other, not ever. I mean, _I'd_ never give up on _you_…"

Whenever anyone asked Takato, he'd always answer that they'd save Henry. But as much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew that at least part of him had given up on his longtime friend. At least part of Takato believed that there really wasn't anything left of Henry other than his body. It was something he could never say. Not to his friends, not to Jeri, and definitely not to Mala.

The way Takato saw it, was that the Henry Wong that he loved as a brother had died the minute the Destroyer took him over. And the Destroyer would suffer for it. Takato would see to that himself.

The image changed back to Cronus.

"Woah, that one was harsh." Cronus shook his head with disapproval. "You know, it's funny…all those times I asked you what—"

Takato had had enough…and he pressed his thumb down on the steering wheel for a half-second. Even though it was intentional, the horn still startled him, but the surprise had made him pull himself together enough that the voices all shut up and went away.

He blocked out the memory of what had just happened, and he blocked out the guilt that had been associated with it. It took a few tries, but he parked his parents' car in the underground lot beneath Ryo and Will's apartment building.

Even though he was running late, the voices had been right about one thing—he needed a nap. So he took one.

* * *

"Help!" a voice called.

Ryo wasn't paying much attention at first. He could see a pair of people far below him, one attempting to carry another. Was he flying…?

_It's a dream, dumbass._

He was in one of those moods where any dream was better than reality, so he just sort of went with it. The ground looked bare—no grass, trees…the dirt didn't look soft, though. Ryo could tell from the way the cracks spread everywhere that it was dry, almost rock-like. Probably uneven, too, seeing as how the two people stumbled around.

"Please, somebody!" the voice called out urgently. Ryo was watching, and there was _clearly_ nobody around. This guy was wasting his time. "Is anybody there?"

Ryo was too far away to be able to see either of their faces, but they both looked pretty young. They were both guys, one with brown hair, one with red.

He squinted.

Correction—there was one with brown hair, and the other who was a bloody mess.

_Takato_…?

After Takato had been injured by Reed, Cronus had carried him on his back to Jeri and the others. Was that what Ryo was seeing…? No, it couldn't be—this was the other way around. The person with brown hair is—

"He won't stop—"

_Wait a second...that's _me.

"TK won't stop bleeding!" the young Ryo screamed out desperately.

Ryo snapped awake, and almost smashed his head on the wall of the shower.

_Falling asleep in the shower. Real smart._

He was more concerned with what he'd just seen. It was most likely just a dream…but it _could_ have been a memory. Maybe whatever happened to make him forget wasn't permanent after all? Maybe more would come back, and Ryo could learn about what happened back then? Maybe—

_Maybe you should stop driving up your utility bills?_

Ryo shut the water off and clumsily reached for the towel he'd hung on the rack.

The water pressure had been crappy that day. Usually, Ryo didn't mind when that happened, but even though it was the middle of winter, the apartment was a little overheated, so people got sweaty and gross faster than they expected to. The result—frequent showers.

He dabbed the towel at his face, getting the water out of his eyes. He blinked twice, and the mild stinging sensation faded quickly. He dried himself as he stepped out of the shower, running his hand in a line across the mirror to clear the moisture from it.

Ryo barely recognized the face that stared back at him. Sure, there was some water dripping down the mirror leaving distorted streaks, but still. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation. Or the guilt. Or the stress. Or the fact that he needed a haircut. Or maybe that he was just _old_. His birthday was coming up shortly.

Or maybe it was that he hadn't actually looked at himself in a few days—because he didn't want to. The accident had happened two days earlier. Just before that, Ryo had told Will the truth about everything.

He remembered it all so clearly. Ryo had tried to hug him. Will slipped his arm out of his cast and pushed him back—Ryo'd been surprised. And when his brother headed out the door, Ryo could have gone after him, but he didn't.

After that, he'd paced around the apartment for a little bit deciding what to do—while Will was being injured, Ryo had no idea. Hell, he probably _still_ wouldn't have known, if Ryo hadn't decided to go to Hypnos. He met up with Jeri, Takato, Kazu, and Rika…they'd seen a crowd. People swore they saw what could only be described as a portal a few hours earlier. A portal, that had thrown Will's driver off guard, and soon after, off the road. Their one clue as to what happened was a dark-orange D-Arc they'd found near the accident site.

The only people that knew Will was a Tamer were Ryo, Takato, and Reed…so while Jeri, Rika, and Kazu had been surprised to see a D-Arc they didn't recognize, they didn't share Ryo's horror when he realized something had happened to Will.

Sitting in the waiting room was torturous. Ryo would have actually much rather _preferred_ being tortured over being in that room for another second. But he_did_ have to continue waiting, because even after Will woke up, he didn't want to speak to Ryo—he wanted to talk to Kazu. Ryo had never felt more betrayed in his life. He didn't blame Kazu, but he was jealous, even if he didn't want to be.

And when Will finally agreed to hear Ryo out, he said nothing.

Amputated. Fifteen years old, sweetest kid Ryo's ever known, and he'd lost his goddamn arm.

With everything that had happened in the last year—learning the truth about Rika's dad, Takato's supposed death, leaving Rika, Jeri's gunshot wound, Miriam, Adrie, Henry—Ryo had come to accept how horrible of a place the world was—it _motivated_ him. To make the world a better place…and he'd become emotionally strong because of it, without becoming distant.

But when he'd seen Will, Ryo had come apart. The way he looked at him—Ryo'd lost it, and he'd cried. It had been ages since he'd shed a tear, but he shed several that night.

Will had complained to the doctors enough that they let him go home. He was still obviously in an intense healing stage, and they gave Ryo an insane amount of antibiotics and painkillers. Will had, of course, spent the majority of his time home in bed in his room. Ryo brought him his meals, and though he could tell he didn't want to answer, Will always said 'thank you'.

But Will hadn't spoken to him other than that. He'd said a few words, but only when prompted by Ryo, and they were the absolute shortest responses possible. Ryo'd given up trying to get him to communicate—well, 'given up' wasn't the best way to describe it, but he'd decided to back off, and give Will some space.

Still, it was painful. Earlier that day, when Ryo was trying to catch up on some of his homework, he'd heard a glass break. When he left his room, he saw that Will had broken one when pouring a glass of water. When Ryo tried to help Will clean it up, he earned himself a bitter 'I can do it myself' from Will.

Ryo didn't know if it was the hate, the medication, or the fact that Will didn't like asking for help, but he let Will clean it up himself, as he wanted to.

Kazu had been over a few times, which Ryo was grateful for, even if he was jealous. He had no idea what they talked about, but Kazu was the only one Will would speak with—Takato, Jeri, Rika—they'd all come by to see him, but he just said he wasn't feeling well enough.

Ryo would have lost it if it hadn't been for Rika. Ryo typically hated talking on the phone, but he'd been talking to her for hours at a time lately—she was basically his only contact to the world outside the apartment.

Ryo didn't bother signing onto the instant messenger on his computer. He'd made the mistake about it the day before, and had to deflect questions about it to the point that he was ready to throw his laptop out the window. He figured that only his real friends knew the number at the apartment, and there had been a few calls from people offering their best wishes. Takato's parents, Mala—even Yamaki.

Then again, Yamaki's call doubled as an opportunity to arrange Ryo's appointment at Hypnos. Everyone was being briefed separately, since they all had things to do at different times. They were leaving for the digital world in a day's time. Ryo didn't _want_ to leave—he wasn't going to go back to the digital world. But Yamaki had insisted he at least go to the meeting, to which Ryo agreed. Shortly after that, Yamaki said that some of the best-trained doctors and personal care agents would be sent over to keep an eye on Will while Ryo was gone. As much as Ryo didn't like the idea of leaving Will with a bunch of strangers, but he _would_ be safe with them. And it was clear he didn't want Ryo around anyways.

His appointment was soon. Takato was on his way over to keep an eye on things while Ryo was out.

_So maybe you should stop acting as if the mirror is going to do something useful for you_.

Maybe, it was that Ryo just wanted to look _different_ than he did.

After drying his hair a little bit, Ryo wrapped the towel around his waist and headed out of the bathroom towards his room.

He really didn't want to go to the meeting. Or back to the digital world, even. But he would. He was tired of fighting, and tired of watching people die, but he'd go back. Cronus and Henry were still out there—that, and Ryo had already promised Takato he'd go—even if he was drunk out of his mind when he'd declared it.

Two knocks at the door.

"It's open." Ryo called instinctively.

_Fuck._

He'd forgotten that he wasn't even dressed. He grabbed hold of the towel to make sure it was secure as the door opened.

Rika looked at him with a raised eyebrow as she stepped in.

"Uh, hey." Ryo murmured.

"Bad time?" Rika asked carefully.

"Eh, good as any." Ryo replied as he scurried towards his room. He closed the door over partly—he was getting dressed behind the door itself, so he didn't really have anything to worry about. "What's up?"

"My mom's apparently all _for_ me going back to the digital world." Rika said. "She said she's not worried because, and I quote, 'I have all those wonderful friends'."

He quickly found and put on a pair of boxers and some black jeans. He grabbed a white hooded sweater off his bed which he slipped on as he stepped out the door back to the living room.

"That's great." Ryo smiled to her.

"Yeah." Rika smiled back.

Ryo ruffled his hand through his hair, hoping it didn't look ridiculous.

"I'm really glad for you." Ryo flashed a smile.

He was able to find some comfort in the fact that at least one of them had a relatively healthy family. After all that had happened with her father, she certainly deserved it.

Rika didn't smile back, though. Instead, she took a few steps forward, and slowly hugged Ryo. He was actually slightly confused that she hadn't even made eye contact while she was moving forward, and it took him a few seconds to hug her back. But he was scared to ask what was wrong.

"How is he?" she asked finally.

Ryo sighed into her shoulder. The answer he wanted to give was somewhere between 'bad' and 'I have no idea, because he won't talk to me'. Just another thing to throw onto the guilt, really. Not only did Ryo's brother hate him for lying for so long, but Ryo couldn't even tell the people he cared about if Will was alright or not.

"I don't know." He admitted, however much of a mumble it came out as.

"Are _you_ okay?" Rika asked next, though they still held each other.

_Miserable as ever._

"Yeah, I'm fine." He lied. When she said nothing and felt her pull away slightly, he knew that she didn't believe him. "I just—we've all got a lot to deal with right now."

There'd never been truer words…Henry, Cronus, the Destroyer, Will, Reed, Carter…

He smiled weakly as he stared into Rika's eyes, which he could tell were dissecting him. Ryo was a good enough liar to piss his brother off 'til the end of time, but some things were too obvious to hide, even for Ryo.

"What are you doing tonight?" Ryo asked, trying to change the subject.

Even though they'd been talking _more_ than usual, Ryo still missed seeing Rika. Yeah, he wanted Will to have some space, but—but it probably _was_their last night on earth, right?

Rika bit her lip, and Ryo's heart sank as he realized she already had plans.

"I'm supposed to go out with Jeri." Rika said guiltily. There was a very short pause before she went on. "But if you're free I'd rather—"

"—No…" Ryo cut her off, wishing he'd been less blunt. "Er, sorry, that didn't really come out right. What I meant was, I think you should go out. Have some fun, it's not something we get to do enough."

He still had a hand on each side of her waist, which probably helped him communicate that he wasn't mad or anything. He _did_ want to spend some more time with her, but he was just—he would be selfish to ask her to stay.

Of course, he knew Rika well enough to notice when she was reading him. As much as they fought, they generally had a decent understanding of what the other was thinking.

Rika looked a little guilty again. "If you need me, just call, okay?"

Ryo nodded, flashing a smile. "Yeah, I will."

* * *

Rika closed the door on her way out, but she took a few steps down the hallway before she leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and sighed.

It wasn't her responsibility to try and fix things between those two. It wasn't her _place_ to try and fix things between those two. But she wanted to be there for Ryo, and he wasn't letting her. She'd just told him to call if he needed her—she knew he wouldn't. Maybe feeling the way she was was being selfish, but she couldn't help it.

She'd wanted him to ask her to stay. She couldn't invite herself to; that would have been inappropriate. She knew she was reading into it more than she should have, thinking more of it than was logical, but she just—she just wanted him to ask her to stay.

_But_ _why on earth would he ever ask me that?_

* * *

Takato had only been asleep for fifteen minutes. He felt surprisingly refreshed, but he also felt like a jerk because it meant he was going to be late. He could probably have just napped on the couch in Ryo's apartment.

Trying to fix his hair, he locked the doors, and grabbed all the bags from the backseats before clumsily hobbling to the elevator.

When Ryo called earlier that day, Takato was eager to do what he could to help the two out—and to help take his mind off of Cronus, of course. Ryo had some errands to run in the city before meeting with some of the people at Hypnos, so Takato was supposed to just be around the apartment incase Will needed something. Not exactly what he'd been expecting would be defined as 'helping', but he couldn't say no. He hadn't seen Will since the accident. And as little as Will was speaking to Ryo, Ryo _did_ tell Takato that his brother hadn't taken those goggles off.

Takato'd been flattered. But he'd also felt incredibly guilty. Takato had known the same information that had made Will so furious with Ryo—he'd known the truth about their mother, and about Will's D-Arc. Takato deserved to be on Will's bad side just as much as Ryo did.

All the Tamers in the group had had their individual briefings at Hypnos—except Ryo and Will. Mostly, the discussions were for removing any legal liabilities from Hypnos in the event that everyone died. Still, it made sense.

He wasn't sure what Will was supposed to be doing during the mission. Takato assumed that would be explained to Ryo at his meeting. Takato actually had a meeting with Yamaki scheduled later that day, so he'd make sure to ask. As the 'leader', he was allowed to be nosey.

Takato suddenly decided against the elevator—remembering that it was always really slow, and some of the people he'd had to share it with before smelled really, _really _bad. He didn't care if he had to carry all the gift boxes and bags—he'd take the stairs. At the very least, it gave him some time to think about what he'd say to Will.

_Like you'll actually come up with anything._

The phone in his pocket rang, echoing in the stairwell.

"Damn it." Takato grumbled, realizing he had to set everything down. He sat on a stair, looking at the caller ID—it was Jeri. His mood lifted.

"Hello?"

"Hey, you up for some dancing tonight?" Jeri asked. "Celebrate before we had back out into the field?"

He winced.

"No can do." Takato answered guiltily. "I'll be in a meeting at Hypnos from about eight 'til midnight, and I have to keep my self-respect."

"Ah, damn it." Jeri pouted. "And here I was all set to get you dancing and then sneak off so it looks like you're crazy and by yourself."

"Yeah, that _would_ have been great…" He couldn't help but smirk before he spoke seriously. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be." Jeri assured him. "Expecting to get anything out of the meeting?"

Takato didn't have to think about it—it was mostly all he'd been thinking about since he'd heard it was scheduled. "Yamaki's gonna go over the new equipment…I'm hoping for another high-end scanner we can get Will to change to track Cronus down. The sooner we find him, the better."

There was still that whole apocalypse thing to deal with, but Takato couldn't quite explain it. He _had_ to find Cronus first—even if it was for Takato's own sake.

"Do you still have someone to go with?" Takato asked suddenly. "Dancing, I mean?"

"Kazu and Rika so far."

_Good_.

He felt comforted by that. Kazu could look out for her—and hey, Rika could look for Kazu. Everyone knew that with her temper, she was the scariest one of them.

"Anyways…" Jeri murmured. It took Takato a second to realize that he'd been so distracted being grateful that she had people to go with that he hadn't actually said anything. "Call me when your meeting's done to tell me how it went, okay? My phone'll be on."

He nodded, though she clearly couldn't see him. "Yep. Will do. Have fun."

"I'll do my best." Jeri replied confidently. "Love you."

Takato couldn't help but feel a little better. "I love you too."

He gathered his things and continued to climb the stairs. He hoped Ryo wouldn't be pissed that he was running late. Then again, the only call he'd gotten on his phone was from Jeri—Ryo would have probably called if he was getting impatient.

Takato knocked on the door to the apartment twice, but walked in immediately after. He was there often—well, not _lately_, but before everything. Ryo and Will had both insisted to him on several occasions to not even bother knocking.

He set the bags down on the couch as Ryo came out of his room, evidently not ready from the fact that he wasn't wearing socks and his hair was still wet.

"Hey." Ryo said with a nod, hurrying into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Hey." Takato replied. "Sorry I'm late."

Ryo flashed a smirk as he resumed his hectic running-around-the-apartment.

"You should be." Ryo sighed. "Because I'm clearly so ready, and everything."

"I know. I'm such an asshole." Takato frowned before his tone changed. "Since when are you late for anything?"

"Fell asleep in the shower. You?"

_Ah._

"Fell asleep in the parking lot." Takato answered truthfully.

"Aren't we the healthiest bunch in the world?" Ryo murmured spiritlessly, picking his wallet up from the coffee table in the living room. He turned to Takato suddenly, worried. "I don't have to get dressed up for this, do I?"

Takato winced. He knew that Yamaki didn't care what they were wearing, but he also knew that the secretary was particularly resentful to young people—probably because the Tamers were a quarter her age and liked more by Yamaki than she ever would be.

"Something with a collar wouldn't hurt." Takato admitted.

He barely heard Ryo mutter something as he scurried back to his room. Takato silently wondered how many cups of coffee Ryo had powered through since falling asleep in the shower.

"Recap me on what I'm not allowed to talk about?" Ryo called from his room.

"Henry's cover story is that he was out of the city when the Destroyer attacked, and is MIA. Cronus wasn't in the same room as the rest of us when Yamaki pulled us out." Takato answered.

An affirmative mumble came from Ryo's room. "Okay. Anything else?"

"Nope, that's it."

Ryo seemed—energetic. And it didn't seem to be entirely from the caffeine, either. Takato knew Ryo better than most people did, and what he was noticing was that it was a different _kind_ of energetic. Pretty similar to the way Ryo got when he was angry, actually…

_Granted, he must be pretty frustrated with everything right now…_

"Actually," Takato went on, suddenly, hurrying over to the couch where he'd left the gift bags. He didn't need to rummage through them—the one he was looking for was at the very top of the navy blue bag...well, it _had _been at the top of the bag, except it was small, and had apparently slid down one of the sides. It took a few seconds, and Takato was able to feel what he was looking for as Ryo reentered the room. Granted, if both bags had been emptied out on the floor, Takato would still be able to pick the gift out—it was the little one wrapped in newspaper, and not very well. Takato was very talented. Just not at wrapping presents.

He tossed the small object to Ryo, who fumbled to catch it twice before he finally got a grip on it. The blue-eyed Tamer looked back at Takato, confused.

"I know the birthday's not for another few days, but there ya go." Takato explained.

He saw Ryo stifle a smile. "You really didn't have to get me anything."

Takato shrugged.

Ryo picked at the paper, and Takato noticed the conscious effort on Ryo's part not to tease Takato about the amount of tape he was struggling with. When he finally managed to tear it open. He pulled out the small metal object-a navy blue Zippo lighter, the logo of the National Sarcasm Society on one side, the motto on the other.

Ryo was grinning. "Where'd you find something like this?"

"It wasn't any trouble." Takato flashed a smile.

It actually _had_ been trouble...Takato'd ordered it online, since he couldn't think of anything local that Ryo might like. He'd actually been pretty proud of himself for thinking of it, too. Hey, it wasn't like he'd have many opportunities to find something like that in the digital world.

"Thanks, buddy."

Ryo finished getting ready, while Takato quickly briefed him on what kind of things to expect from Yamaki. Communications, equipment, priorities...anything that might make the meeting go smoother. The idea of the separate meetings made Takato a little nervous. He knew his friends could keep the story straight, but what made Takato anxious was that he began to wonder if Yamaki suspected something was up. Either that Henry was in deeper than they thought, or that Cronus wasn't who they said he was.

"Anyways," Ryo said eventually. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"Yeah, see you." Takato murmured as he watched Ryo start towards the door. He had the door halfway open before he looked back at Takato, and then at the pile of gifts he'd brought with him.

"Those might not be the best idea..." Ryo warned carefully, before giving a sigh, and continuing out the door.

_Might not be a good idea?_

Takato didn't get it. Ryo had no idea what any of the things were—hell, even Takato didn't know what most of them were. Was Ryo worried that Will wouldn't like something? Takato was certain everyone'd been sensitive enough to keep the accident in mind...

He started moving the bags towards the door to Will's room. Takato felt grateful that he could do it in two trips after having to carry it all in one a few minutes earlier. As he stared at the door, his mind raced. What was he supposed to say?

_Just play it by ear_.

As lame yet effective of a plan as ever. After taking a deep breath, Takato knocked on Will's door.

"It's open." Will called from inside. Takato stepped in. Will was on his computer, of course. He wore a pair of green shorts that went just past his knees, and a white and blue dress shirt—though the right sleeve was tied off.

He turned briefly to Takato before looking back at his monitor.

"Hello." Will said, less lively than he'd ever greeted Takato.

"Hey." Takato replied. He smiled inwardly, noticing that Will wore Takato's goggles around his neck. "I wasn't sure if you'd like 'em." He said, pointing at them.

Will looked down, and then back up, a faint smile on his face. "Oh—yes. It was very thoughtful. Thank you."

Takato was almost confused with how Will was speaking. Almost formally, like Takato was a stranger. He was being as polite as ever, just—different.

"Um—" Takato stammered. "I brought over some stuff that everyone picked up for you."

Takato tilted his head towards the doorway which remained open, the stack of presents clearly visible. Will too glanced at it, but just for a second. The boy sighed as he turned back to the computer, closing the Internet browser, turning the monitor off, and facing Takato.

"No thank you." He said simply, approaching the bookshelf, looking around carefully for something.

_No?_

"Th—they want you to have them…" Takato murmured, confused.

Will had been in the process of taking a book from the shelf, but he shoved it back in place hard, quickly walking to the closet. He opened it, and Takato saw what was inside. Presents. Absolutely stuffed with them—and all entirely unopened. There were more presents there than there ever was in Takato's parents' closet at Christmas.

"Then just throw them onto the pile." Will ordered quietly.

"Wow." Takato exclaimed to himself, still staring at 'the pile'.

"From people at school." Will explained. "Never heard of half of them, never been spoken to from the other half. But everyone wants to be nice to the guy who lost his arm, right?"

Will spoke bitterly, his face twisted in contempt as he spoke. "I'm not some charity case. There are plenty of people out there who could use this crap more than I could, and it would serve a much better purpose helping out someone who actually needs it, rather than for providing self-gratification to the people who don't know anything about me other than what was announced at school."

The boy slammed the closet shut, taking a step towards Takato.

"Pity's something I don't _want_ or _need_." He finished dryly.

Takato was stunned. "Will, we _care_ about you."

Will closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, before exhaled sharply. When he opened his eyes, he seemed more like himself.

"I know." He admitted, meeting Takato's eye. "I'm sorry. These meds make me crabby. I'm grateful, too—I really am. But I don't need anything. Just pass all that stuff on to someone who does, okay?"

Takato felt like he was looking at an entirely different person. But he knew it wasn't the accident that had changed Will—it was Ryo telling him the truth.

"Will…" Takato started, trailing off after just the one word. Ryo had had the courage to tell Will the truth—the least Takato could do was the same. "About what Ryo told you—I already knew."

Will didn't seem surprised. "It's okay."

_Well, that was easy._

But Takato was still doubtful. "Ryo said you've barely said two words to him…"

Will looked at Takato, a glance of understanding.

"It's okay." He repeated. "I get it. You were just being a friend to him. I respect that."

Takato felt a surge of guilt that he was getting such a good deal himself, while his best friend was taking the worst of it. "I've known Ryo for years—he's not a bad person…_you_ know that. So just—"

"—please." Will interrupted him, holding his hand up. "Please don't. If you keep going this'll turn into an argument so just—please…"

Takato nodded solemnly. He could tell—Will _was_ trying not to hate Ryo. It just wasn't working. As much as Takato cared about both of them, it was for them to work out themselves. If Will chose not to forgive Ryo, then, well, that was his decision to make. All Takato could do was to be there for them both as best as he could. And he could start by helping Will take his mind off of it.

"So what are you working on?"

Will exhaled with relief, before sitting down at the computer chair and opening up an internet browser. He loaded up a page, while Takato sat himself down on the side of Will's bed.

"Okay, so Reed told us this all started just over five years ago." Will started, meeting Takato's eye. "But _you_ said a digimon told you this all started _thirteen_ years ago, right?"

Takato nodded. "Yeah. A Kudamon told me that when Cronus and I were looking for the Sovereign."

Will clicked on something else, which pulled up a map.

"Okay, I can't be positive, but I think that was when the Guardian first gave up his power and turned into Angemon, or Patamon, or whatever." He pointed out a few different city sectors before Takato could ask why he was making the assumption. "I looked through some old news reports, and _twelve _years ago, there was a report of what I think is about human children seen cooperating with digimon. Of course, it doesn't refer to the digimon by name, but given the description they gave, I think that's what they were."

Takato didn't want to be disappointed, but he couldn't help but be hopeful. "Where?"

Will pointed slowly. "Here."

Takato recognized it immediately.

"Obaida." He said aloud. Will nodded.

"That's right." Will replied. "And assuming Reed's about twenty-two _now_, that would make him eight or nine when that happened—which is how old he'd told Jeri he was when he first went to the digital world."

"So those kids would be him and his friends, then." Takato finished for him. "The ones that we saw in that recording."

"We can't be sure, but that's what I suspect, yes." Will nodded.

Takato finally let himself feel hopeful. If they could find Reed, or his brother, or their friends—maybe the Tamers would be able to make it through everything after all.

"Can we look at the recording again?" Takato asked. "If we look closer, we might be able to see what digimon were involved in the battle—or maybe even some clue about the kids."

The recording had been stored on a small white pearl-sized object. Takato remembered that Ryo had snagged it on their way out of the digital world's core.

But Will shook his head.

"No." He answered. "As far as I can tell, it can only be accessed from the digital world—and it might not even work there anymore, after being converted from data into—into whatever it's made of now."

Takato frowned.

"But listen to this." Will said, moving the computer's cursor to go back to the page he was on before the map. "If digimon were involved in this, it was obviously kept out of the news as much as possible—but ironically enough, the whole thing took place at a _television station_. The Fuji network."

Takato was catching on. "You think someone there covered it up."

Will gave a guilty shrug. "Hypnos kept your guys' names out of the news during the D-Reaper thing, right?"

_True_.

"Hypnos wasn't founded yet at that time." Takato countered.

"That's true," Will admitted. "But it still means hiding the names of people involved in something so big is still possible, right?"

Takato thought about it. The incident in Obaida occurred years before he even _found_ Guilmon. Then again, that could have been what sparked the need for Hypnos's very creation—the digital 'threat'. Hell—more than just Hypnos's creation—that was probably what got Yamaki, Dr. Valn, and Dr. Nonaka involved in their research in the first place.

"So where do we go from here, then?" Takato asked. It was a lead, but his pessimism took him over—they still had no idea what to do about that.

"I'm not sure." Will admitted.

Takato frowned at their mutual disappointment, apparently, they each had been hoping the other would know what to do next. They could try to trace any financial links between Hypnos and Fuji, but that would probably take ages…

"What about employee records?" Takato asked hopefully. "Salaries and stuff—_names_. Might help give us some clues on the cover-up…see how many people left the station at that time."

Will looked thoughtful before he nodded.

"Okay." The boy agreed. "I can get on that later, it'll be easier to snoop around their records once they're not being used."

_Fair enough._

Takato still had something on his mind, though. It wasn't about the apocalypse, or even about Cronus, though. It was about Will, and Giz.

They were partners—Takato and Ryo had both known it for some time, and the others were just finding out about it, including Will himself. But the question that was burning in Takato's mind, that he just couldn't help to think about, was—

"—Have you talked to Giz yet?" he blurted out.

Will looked understandably surprised. But after he looked away, Takato knew that he hadn't. It was obviously a strange situation—all the other Tamers had had their D-Arcs appear directly to them. But since Henry—since the Destroyer managed to get ahold of it before Will did…Takato knew that even the digital partners didn't always know they were connected to their human counterpart. Leomon and Guardromon were a testament to that.

"No." Will said finally. He shook his head. "I wouldn't know what to say."

Takato raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Takato said. "Just show him the D-Arc and explain to him what it means."

"_I_ don't know what that means." Will countered immediately.

Takato had never found it a difficult thing to comprehend until he tried to explain it.

"It just means you're partners." Takato said simply, wishing he could be clearer.

"Yeah, but what does that mean other than that we can use cards?" Will asked, frustrated. "What difference can it really make?"

Takato didn't answer right away, silently debating what he knew was the right thing to do.

"Let's go find out."

* * *

Kazu snooped around Jeri's desk for a pen, but he couldn't find one that was actually for writing—several glittery gel ones, markers, pencil crayons—he made a mental note to make fun of Jeri for being a closeted scrapbooker. Settling on a navy blue pencil gel pen, he grabbed a piece of paper which rested in her printer, and sat down on the bed, sticking a textbook behind the paper to make it easier to write on.

Jeri was in the shower, and Kazu was making himself at home, as he'd been instructed. He had been living there for a few days, anyways—since he'd finally lost it with both of his parents and left. He was grateful that Jeri had been there for him, which in turn made him feel guilty—he wished he could repay the favor, but that could only happen if something bad happened to her, too, and he didn't want that, not ever. She was probably his best friend, though he never thought about the term much. He hadn't heard from Kenta in what seemed like ages—though part of that might be because Kazu had spent so much time in the digital world. When Kenta had left, it was for a vacation, as Kazu had been told. A phone call a few weeks after revealed that it was to visit a relative, and a week after that—well, the communication sort of stopped after that. Kazu had tried not to wonder if Kenta was actually ever coming back.

_Granted, he's better off not mixed up in all this end-of-the-world stuff._

He stared at the paper, which—no matter how hard he glared at it—wouldn't write on itself.

Jeri had planted the guilt on their jog earlier—he hadn't told his sister he'd be leaving again. Kazu really just didn't want to worry her. But he knew he should at least leave her a note, just incase.

_Odds for survival aren't looking that great_.

Adrie had died because life was just as easy to lose in the digital world as it was in the real world. It had very nearly been Kazu that it had happened to...if Ryo hadn't warned him not to absorb the data...and Henry, well, Kazu had his doubts they'd be able to save him, though he didn't want to admit it out loud. If the Destroyer's influence was that deeply-rooted in Adrie after just a few hours, how would it even be possible to restore Henry to who he's supposed to be?

_Hey Aya,_

_I'm sure you've heard of the recent spat with the parentals, since I  
_

_haven't been around for a while. (What? You didn't notice? Oh well.)_

_Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna be heading_

_out of town again (yeah, that way-way-way kind of out-of-town). So,_

_be good, eat your vegetables, and don't do drugs. If you need me for_

_anything in the next few days, Will Connors and Mala Emmerich from  
_

_school will be able to get ahold of me. Anytime after that, Mala or _

_Yamaki over __at Hypnos. If he gives you any sass, threaten a lawsuit _

_or something. __Take care of yourself, and feel free to get really good _

_at my video games __while I'm gone, because let's face it, taking out _

_hoards of aliens is a lot __easier when your partner doesn't get stuck_

_ running in a corner. Seriously. You need improvement there._

_Kazu_

He grumbled as the ink smudged in the l's and t's, but it was still legible enough. There was more that he wanted to say, but he chickened out. He didn't feel it would be entirely appropriate to include a, "incase I'm killed horribly, I love you". All the more reason to make it through this alive.

* * *

Takato slowly escorted Will to the part of the building the digimon were being kept in. As they stepped in, they were given a slight nod from the guard, who was obviously trying not to stare at Will's sleeve, tied at its end.

Through a large window, Takato could see Giz, sitting in the middle of a smaller room staring intently at a pop-up book. Will stopped in his tracks.

"I don't think I can do this." He said quietly.

Takato gently pat him on the back. "Everything's gonna be alright. Just talk to him."

Will glanced at Takato nervously for a second before he nodded, pulled his D-Arc from his pocket, and fumbled with the doorknob before he entered the smaller room. Takato watched on as Giz rushed to Will excitedly, and then suddenly stopping in place, looking at the boy curiously.

Takato turned to go wait outside, thinking it might be rude to watch their conversation. Or maybe he was worried that it might just have been too upsetting to watch. He was two steps into the hallway when he bumped into someone.

"Sorr—" Takato mumbled. He was staring face-to-face with Ryo. "Ryo? I thought you were in the meeting?"

"We're taking a ten-minute break, I was on my way to see Cyberdramon." Ryo was staring at Takato hard. "Where's Will?"

_Damn it._

"He's in there, talking to Giz."

Takato was seeing some more of that angry-frustrated-energy on Ryo again.

"And he's not at home resting because…?"

Takato felt horrible, but he struggled with his justification. "I thought it would help him deal with—with everything." He said finally.

"Takato, he's not even supposed to be out of the _hospital_ right now." Ryo challenged in disbelief. "What's wrong with you?"

"I was careful." Takato said defensively, while Ryo still stared at him. "But he said he wanted to see Giz, and we both know that he hasn't been entirely good with the whole emotionally-stable thing, and I thought it would be good for him. And I'll take him right back home after."

Ryo didn't say anything, but he walked past Takato and back out the way he'd come. Takato knew he was pissed, but Takato also wasn't convinced that bringing Will to see Giz was entirely wrong. Ryo was right that Will probably shouldn't be out of the hospital, but the fact that he _was_ out of the hospital meant that he might as well work on recovering from all that crippling emotional damage, which couldn't be done at the apartment. Will was going to be unsupervised for an hour _anyways_ when Takato was going into his meeting while Ryo was coming from his own. He'd driven safely, and—and it sunk in that Ryo had at least been in part, mad that he couldn't go in and even ask Will politely to return home and rest, because Will would never hear it.

Takato pushed the door open to where all the digimon were, though Will and Giz were still in the smaller room. A glance through the window told Takato that the two were talking, but he couldn't read lips, and since Gazimon didn't exactly _have_ lips, it wouldn't have helped anyways.

"Trouble in the ranks?" a cool female voice asked. Takato didn't have to look to know that Renamon was beside him.

"Something like that." Takato admitted, feeling guilty he'd made Ryo mad.

"I think that you are the only one I've never seen him squabble with." Renamon noted thoughtfully.

Takato knew that Ryo and Renamon had had more than a few arguments, most recently when Ryo was put in charge of Hyperion's army, and Renamon didn't agree with some of Ryo's tactics. Of course, there was already tension between the two regarding their importance in Rika's life, but Takato tried not to get involved. At least the whole Hyperion-thing had worked out—until Cronus happened, anyways.

He suddenly wondered what Renamon would do to Cronus if given the chance, but decided he'd rather not think about it. Renamon didn't like Cronus since he'd been turned human, and after absorbing the Guardian's power—along with who-knows-how-much of the digital world itself, Cronus probably wasn't earning himself points on that relationship.

"Excited to get back into the field?" Takato asked casually, putting Ryo and Cronus out of his mind.

The fox nodded. "We've got a great deal of work ahead of us."

Of course, the end steps in the Tamers plan were 'Save Henry and Cronus', but Renamon was right—there were about a million things to do that would lead up to that. Find out _how_ to save them would be nice, preferably before they killed each other. How to get the Destroyer out of Henry without killing him, or how to get all that energy out of Cronus without making him explode. Find Reed, check in on Hyperion, see if any members of the Circle were still alive—well, there was at least one. Renamon had accepted the fifth seat as a leader of Hyperion, but that was before it was attacked. They had no idea what happened to the city after the Tamers were pulled out.

"Yeah." Takato murmured. "No rest for people like us, huh?"

* * *

Kazu had timed his visit home to be at a time when nobody would be around. His parents were at the top of the avoid-list from general bitterness, but he didn't want things to get emotional, which they would if he ran into Aya. She knew about the digital world, since Guardromon was around during the D-Reaper incident, and she'd come to understand that the digital world wasn't an entirely safe, friendly place, so he knew she'd be worried.

He wound up putting the note in her pillowcase, where she'd be the only one to notice it. Kazu then headed towards his own room to see if there was anything he might want to bring with him to the digital world, and he wasn't entirely surprised to find mostly everything on the floor. Either his parents were trying to find some clue to where he might be, or they'd given his little brother free reign over Kazu's room.

_Whatever_.

He poked through the piles. Pictures, clothes, some CD's. He knew all the Tamers were trying to travel light, only a few changes of clothes each. He scooped up a black denim jacket which he slipped on. There didn't seem to be much else of interest in the room, and he didn't bother doublechecking. He had enough things to live off of in the bag he'd left at Jeri's house, and he'd probably only be bringing half of that to the digital world.

Kazu walked out through the front door to where Jeri was waiting.

"Were you detected, Agent Kazu?" she asked in a deep voice.

"Psh. Who do you think you're talking to?" Kazu scoffed. "Where to now?"

The redhead paused. "Let's head to the bakery. I wanna say goodbye to Takato's parents. Then we'll go get Rika and head out?"

"You're the boss, Boss." Kazu confirmed. "Is Takato coming?"

Jeri shook her head. "Meeting all evening." she frowned, before brightening. "Anyone harasses me, you have to beat them up—and anyone who harasses you, Rika beats up. I think that's the plan, anyways."

* * *

"No communicator this time?" Takato asked, concerned. Yamaki had just finished describing the dart guns the Tamers had already used before. Though the serum was new. They would still be non-lethal, but carried a few more shots a piece. But Takato was doubtful Yamaki didn't want to keep an eye on the Tamers at all times.

Yamaki turned back to his desk and hit a button on the intercom.

"Come on in." he said before turning back to Takato. "We've developed a more compact version, actually. Won't be as troublesome to carry around as the last one."

Takato didn't exactly find the last one particularly heavy, but he decided to just let Yamaki have his fun obsessing. The man had turned back to his desk to open black briefcase, and presented Takato with a small object no bigger than a cell phone. But since it was so small, it didn't have what Takato expected.

"Sleek." Takato admitted. "But the last one we knew how to use…the interface on this thing doesn't look anything like the last one, and we don't have another week for you to show me how to use it. Is this really the best idea? I mean, how'll I know how to use this?"

"You just ask for a little help, is all." A young woman's voice answered him before he finished asking.

Takato turned to see Mala, dressed in a navy blue outfit. Her brown hair was tied back, and a pair of reading glasses hung over a button on her blouse.

Yamaki nodded to her as she entered the room. "I believe you're familiar with Ms. Emmerich?"

"Yeah, I _think_ I remember her." Takato teased.

Mala smiled and glanced to the floor as if embarrassed, seeming to wait for Yamaki to elaborate on her presence.

"The technology we used to develop this model is substantially more efficient than what was used in our _last_ model." Yamaki explained, indicating the phone-like object in Takato's hand. "It's based off of some of Janyu's old research that was modified by Henry last summer."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mala shift the weight from her left foot to her right.

"Once activated, this device will hold an extremely small portal that can be sustained for large amounts of time." Yamaki went on, as if Takato was expected to understand why that would be more useful.

"It lets sound waves pass through without imploding on itself." The brown-haired girl to Takato's left finished the thought. "Communication will be a lot easier, a lot clearer, and much more efficient."

"Oh. Thanks." Takato smirked to Yamaki, as if he'd been the one to make it clear. So, the idea was to scrap the idea of a low-grade scanner and have the Tamers rely on Hypnos's machines. Takato was surprised that Yamaki would take that kind of liability. He knew that Yamaki trusted the Tamers, but that he also preferred a 'don't-ask don't-tell' set-up.

Takato wasn't so sure it was the best news, actually…it meant that Hypnos would have a closer eye on them. Even with Mala working to save Henry and Cronus, she wouldn't be able to keep every employee in the building from listening in, too—especially not Yamaki.

Takato jumped at the sound of his phone ringing. Yamaki glared at him. It was the same look that his teachers gave students when they forgot to turn it off in class.

"Sorry." Takato murmured, fumbling to get it out of his pocket.

"That really shouldn't be on while we're—"

A second ring, and Yamaki's own phone started ringing. Takato grinned to himself, and he wasn't positive, but there _might _have been _part_ of a smile on Yamaki's face, too.

"Nevermind." He muttered.

Takato opened his phone up, holding it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Takato? It's Will." The boy said quickly.

"Something wrong?" Takato became nervous at the boy's tone.

"Yes—well, no, but I—" he stammered. "The thing is, I mean—"

"Deep breaths, kiddo." Takato ordered.

He actually heard Will do as he said.

"Right." Will sounded more collected. "I just got the copies of what we were looking for—the records of employees who worked at the Fuji television station at the time of the attack. Guess what the name of one of the people in charge was?"

Takato hated guessing games. "No?"

"What? N—no? No…" Will sounded confused. "Hiroaki Ishida."

_Ishida._

"You're _kidding_." Takato blurted out in disbelief.

It was a common name, but Takato knew that that man could be their lead. He might be able to point them to Matt, and Reed—TK. He might be able to point them to answers about Carter—and Cronus.

He shifted as Yamaki gave him a look, and Takato reminded himself to finish the discussion later—he wouldn't be able to speak freely with Yamaki so close.

"Erm, I'm actually in a meeting right now…" Takato changed his tone. "We can talk about dinner later?"

Yamaki seemed to have stopped paying attention, so he probably didn't need the lie—but better safe than sorry.

"Y—yes, of course." Will answered awkwardly, as if someone was listening in on him, too.

Takato simply smiled to himself and turned his phone off. He took a few slow strides around the room as he waited for Yamaki to finish up his own phone call. Mala had slipped out of the room, leaving Takato nobody to talk to as Yamaki finished up his call. When the man finally did, he looked at the tamer curiously when Takato's phone began to ring again, and in the most teacher-like voice, asked him, "Is there somewhere you'd rather be?"

* * *

The music was so cheesy that it was great. It was some sort of techno remix, but the constant telephone operator voiceovers made it nearly impossible to determine what the original song was. Jeri didn't want to guess it out loud since Kazu would make fun of her, but she was pretty sure it was the main theme to 'Free Willy'.

She was having fun. And so was Rika. Neither of them was having as much fun as Kazu, however. When they got there, he'd been a little reserved. Three beers later, he'd loosened up enough to dance with Jeri and Rika. But as it turned out, having two attractive redheads dance with you was the key to getting _more_ girls. Earlier, he'd said he wouldn't dance without a beer in hand. Last time Jeri saw him, someone had bought him one for the other hand as well. He'd since drifted around, leaving Jeri and Rika dancing together. Rika had called him a 'dance-slut' the last time he came to check up on them.

The club's dance floor was in levels—different size and shaped stages raised at different heights. Made for a very impressive look, and Jeri and Rika—being probably the only two sober people in the room—enjoyed watching the drunks stumble around.

"Hey, check it out." Rika said suddenly, as she stopped dancing and pointed to something behind Jeri.

Jeri turned around, expecting to see someone walk into a wall or yell at the fog machine. She didn't notice anything.

"What am I checking out?" Jeri asked carefully, still trying to pick through the crowd with her eyes.

Rika reached over Jeri's shoulder from behind, pointing.

"Them."

It was a couple, making out furiously on the dance floor.

Jeri shook her head to herself as she watched the two. "Public displays of affection are so—_holycrapit'sKazu_."

She didn't quite believe it, even after she'd said it. But after looking for another second, she recognized the girl as one of the very attractive blondes he was dancing with earlier.

"Is this blackmail material?" Rika asked with a laugh as she pulled a camera from her purse and snapped a picture. Snickering to herself, Jeri turned back around and resumed her dancing.

"You kidding?" Jeri scoffed. "She's gorgeous."

"I know _that_." Rika confirmed. "I mean that he's gonna want a copy."

Even though Jeri was having fun, she missed Takato. She hoped his meeting wasn't being too boring, and that they really were making progress on finding Cronus and saving Henry.

The song changed. Fortunately for Jeri, it happened at a time when she wasn't talking—for the last two songs, she'd been yelling mid-sentence trying to speak to Rika over the music, and sounding like a jackass when everyone ended up hearing her.

"Incoming." Rika said with a smirk as she leant in.

Jeri was afraid to turn around. Earlier in the evening, there was a skuzzy-looking guy that had started dancing up against Rika. To both of their surprises, Kazu had saved her—he'd actually squeezed between Rika and the guy, and started dancing with Rika himself. The guy backed off, and while Jeri had half-expected Rika to kick Kazu's ass for putting his arms around her, he slipped back to the bar before returning to his pack of girls—who, much to Jeri's amusement, gave some really nasty glares to Rika and Jeri.

When Jeri felt some hands on her hips from behind she nearly cringed. But before she could, the person spoke.

"Boo." Takato said as she turned around. Her spirits rose even heigher than they were, and she threw her arms around him before giving him a kiss.

"Yeah," Rika scoffed. "Public displays of affection really are so—_blah_."

Jeri didn't even care that her own words were being thrown back at her—it made her even happier to see Takato then than it usually did. She probably wouldn't even make him try to dance.

"I thought you were at your meeting?" she asked, letting herself feel guilty again.

Takato shrugged. "Playing hooky. I'm sure I can expect some wicked detention from Yamaki when we get back."

Jeri hugged him again, grateful he'd come.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Check out what Rika found."

Jeri scanned the crowd again to find Kazu and that girl, but she couldn't find them. "Damn it, they were _just_ there."

She saw Takato glance to Rika out of the corner of her eye, probably since Jeri wasn't offering much of an explanation.

"Kazu's apparently a whore, and has now been abducted by a surprisingly attractive blonde." she explained simply.

"Yow." Takato raised his brow. "Lucky boy."

Jeri jabbed a finger into Takato's ribs. "Hey." she pouted. Well, tried to pout. Usually she was a pro, but even with everything, Jeri couldn't hide her smile. Because just incase it it _was_ her last night on earth, she was at least having a damn good time.

* * *

Ryo usually tossed his keys onto either the counter or the coffee table whenever he got back into the apartment, but he restrained himself, as Will had things scattered about. He was sitting on the floor between the couch and coffee table, his sketchbook open. He paid Ryo no attention.

"They're opening the portal tomorrow morning." Ryo said. "Yamaki's gonna send over some equipment for you, he wants you to keep an eye on us if you're up for it."

To Ryo's surprise, he got a response.

"That's fine."

It wasn't exactly friendly, but it wasn't dripping with hate, so it was certainly an improvement.

"You're supposed to come meet us in the digital world in a few days time…" Ryo went on. "It's when the most crucial healing phases are supposed to take place. After that, the rest can be treated in the digital world, so you won't have to worry about any antibiotics or anything when you get there."

Will nodded. Ryo wasn't close enough to see any details, but he knew Will was drawing. But Ryo was scared to ask how it was going—Will had been right handed before the accident.

His unasked question was answered by the sound of a page being ripped out and being crumpled. Will stood up, walked within a few feet of Ryo, and threw it in the garbage before turning back.

"Will, wait…" Ryo blurted out, taking a half step forward.

Will stopped, and turned back to him. For a moment Ryo thought that Will was going to yell at him again, but there was no anger in his expression. No hate, and no sadness. Then again, there was also none of the light Ryo used to always see in his expression. Will had always been so eager to hear anything Ryo had to say, so interested, however meaningless Ryo's stories had been. Perhaps that was the best way to describe the expression Ryo saw then—Will looked bored.

He looked back at Ryo, his head moving in a way to indicate Ryo to hurry up and say whatever he had to say.

"Are we ever going to be able to be friends again?" Ryo asked simply.

Will looked down thoughtfully for a moment, and then back up at Ryo.

"There are more important things to deal with right now." He answered finally.

"Not to me, there isn't." Ryo countered immediately, approaching his brother, who didn't back away. "I need to know that we—"

He paused. Ryo had his moments with words, occasionally. When he could express his thoughts and feelings clearly. _That_ wasn't one of them—Ryo was at an absolute loss.

"Will, I wish knew what to do here, but I…" Ryo sighed, defeated.

"Forget it, Ryo." Will cut him off, pausing, before tilting his head upwards ever so slightly. As if indicating to Ryo to just move elsewhere. "Go save the world."

* * *

Oh, so I'm insane, and I posted two stories between the last chapter and now, and am now in way over my head. Good going, me. But I still like you guys best, so this story'll still get the most attention. The fact that I don't get to write Cronus for another ten chapters is sort of disheartening, though.

One is the Power Player story I mentioned a while back, that's set five/six years before this, and is about TK dealing with Matt and Sora's teenage pregnancy. Heh, amusing fact—the majority of the people who reviewed/signed up for alerts/PM'd me about that story are TK/Kari fans who I really doubt follow Code Carter, and therefore are likely to get pissed with me when TK's personality eventually does a 180 and he starts going around absorbing Sovereigns and torturing people. Ba-zing! Actually, I think that story's only gonna work if it ends at Carter's birth since I don't want to re-write the stuff where Reed's hanging out with Ryo and Max in the digital world. I'll probably just end up epilogue-ing Carter's abduction.

The other is Cipher, and is _not_ set in this series, and is about the Tamers (well, Jeri and subsequently, Takato) being labeled as terrorists after being blamed for the D-Reaper. Henry, Rika, Ryo, Kazu, and Kenta join up with them to protect them. I have a remotely interesting grand plan for this one, but for now I think it's something different, and it's probably got some potential. Pairings are Takato and Jeri of course, as well as Rika and Ryo.

I also highly recommend Jared Head's 'The Silent Project', which you can get to through my favorites. It's a really solid read, and extra-enjoyable since it's already finished so you don't have to wait for updates. So give it a look and I'll love you even more than I already do.

-N


	26. Breaking Point

Hugs and puppies to Jared Head and KanashiixKioku for beta-ing and putting up with my ADD, OCD, and random catty bitching.

* * *

**Previously:**

Ryo was staring at Takato hard. "Where's Will?"

"He's in there, talking to Giz."

Takato was seeing some more of that angry-frustrated-energy on Ryo again.

"And he's not at home resting because…?"

Takato felt horrible, but he struggled with his justification. "I thought it would help him deal with—with everything." He said finally.

"Takato, he's not even supposed to be out of the _hospital_ right now." Ryo challenged in disbelief. "What's wrong with you?"

* * *

**Breaking Point:**

"_This world's history is much more—expansive than we thought…but it hasn't changed much since the beginning. I've looked back, and seen everything…the laughter, the sadness, the love, and the betrayals. What caught my attention, though, were the humans. You weren't the first, you already knew…before you, there were dozens from all around the world. Among them, there were Reed, 'Delta', and their friends…but Reed was one of the first: the original eight—Carter's father and mother included. For no reason other than nobility, they all fought bravely to save this ungrateful, dying world. They were young, and resourceful, and righteous—just like you. They were heroes."_

"_But what's happening now—it was meant for you to resolve, not them. Of all the children who were chosen to protect this world, you alone are capable of preventing the coming apocalypse. Because there's something that only you have, that nobody else—human or digital—ever did, and ever will. Do you know what it is? Me."_

"…Cronus?"

Takato opened his eyes.

Everything came rushing in as Cronus's voice faded to the back of Takato's mind and then away entirely—but Takato saw something more than just the sight of the digital world's sky and the shockingly bright light—he saw water.

He coughed, an uncomfortable feeling rushing through him as some water escaped his lungs. He was facing the sky, but he wasn't sinking—not that he wasn't grateful for it, but it was both confusing and disorienting, to say the least.

When he felt the pressure on his chest he was certain he'd breathed in more water—and he probably had, but that wasn't what he'd been feeling—it was Rika's arm. He couldn't see her face, but he recognized her watch—probably ruined—but he confirmed his hope by rolling his head slightly to the side—far enough to see her out of the corner of his eye, but not far enough he'd have to worry about drowning. She was clinging onto him so tightly that it hurt him, panting for air as the waves smacked at her face as she swam them both—somewhere.

Takato hadn't fully regained control of himself, and the throbbing pain just behind his left temple told him that he'd probably knocked his head off of something. But even if he didn't know what was happening, he knew that he had to kick to help paddle. So he did.

He couldn't tell how much time had passed between then and when Kazu arrived—and he could feel solid—albeit uneven—ground beneath his feet. He fell to his knees, breathing deeply. He wiped the water out of his eyes, and after the stinging sensation ebbed, he looked around.

Each member of the team who'd come through the portal was still with him, for which he was grateful. But of them, Kazu was the only one standing, and he was stumbling far too much for it to be a real accomplishment. Rika'd fallen to her backside, her fingers clenched into the wet sand at her sides in an intense struggle not to tip the remaining thirty-five degrees. A ways in front of him, Ryo was on all fours coughing, while Jeri knelt at his side, flashing a nervous look to Takato as she rubbed Ryo's back.

Everyone was wet and miserable—especially the soaking-wet-Renamon, Takato suspected. Several long minutes passed, the only words spoken were the occasional 'fuck' coming from both Kazu and Rika as they each realized something of theirs had been ruined—Kazu's mp3 player seemed to have gone missing, and he cursed again as he threw his earphones back out into the water, stumbling backwards clumsily on the wet sand as he did so.

Rika, however had lost her entire backpack. It triggered Takato's own realization that he didn't have his either, but he was too busy enjoying breathing something other than water to care at the time. After finally managing to sit up, he saw that Guardromon, Cyberdramon, and Giz seemed to have dried off quickly—Guardromon probably just heated himself up, Cyberdramon—well, Takato never did know what exactly Cyberdramon's skin was made of, but he was _probably_ dry. And Giz was simply little—probably just shook a bit. Renamon, however, looked as awful as Takato felt.

Takato turned to see the others—Ryo'd finally stopped coughing and was on his feet, heading towards Rika. Jeri's arms were crossed, heading to Takato.

"Ever get the feeling that the day's just gonna suck?" Takato groaned as she approached, his voice sounding strange to him for the first few words.

"Seems that happens a lot these days." Jeri said spiritlessly, arms still crossed. "Gimme your sweater, will ya?"

He tilted his head slightly, trying to figure out what she was getting at. He raised both his arms parallel to the ground to look at the sleeves, though he already knew what he was checking for.

"Why? It's soaking wet, just like everything el—" he paused. At first, he thought Jeri's arms were crossed because she was as pissed as Rika and Kazu were. It wasn't until he saw the pattern of her bra strap above her shoulder that he realized she was wearing a white shirt. "Oh. Right." He finished absentmindedly.

"Thanks."

He struggled as he tried to separate the fabric of his sweater and his t-shirt, and wound up removing both anyways to squeeze as much water out as he could. When he'd done all he could, he was slightly drier, but had sand in his socks, shoes, in his hair, and on his back under his shirt, which irritated him profusely.

Takato climbed to his feet—only to nearly fall onto Jeri, who managed to catch him. She turned his head to the right to examine it. He winced as her fingers brushed against what was an obvious lump. He wanted to make some kind of joke about being disfigured to let Jeri know that he was at least well enough to make bad jokes, but nothing came to him—maybe he _wasn't_ fine.

_Not important. I'll bleed out my ears when I _don't_ have things to do._

He walked towards Ryo, Rika, Kazu, and the digimon—with Jeri's help, of course. When he got there, Ryo looked at him nervously.

"You okay?"

"Peachy." Takato lied with a nod.

Ryo kept staring at him, and it made Takato feel nervous. Why would he feel uncomfortable around Ryo? They hadn't been fighting or anything—and they were back to the digital world. Near-drowning or not, it was a good day.

"So what the hell just happened?" Takato asked nobody in particular.

When escaping Valn's underground lab through a portal, Takato had wound up falling through every branch of a very tall tree. He'd been unconscious for three weeks. If they still had three weeks to spare, Takato would have preferred going through that again rather than waking up underwater—if he was unconscious, then at least he didn't have to deal with feeling like crap.

"Do you copy?" a young woman's voice called from the communicator Ryo held. Mala. Takato hadn't realized that she'd given Ryo one as well—but he was glad she did, since Takato's was long gone.

Ryo sighed, shaking his head as he hit the buttons that were _supposed_ to open the channel.

"No good." He grumbled.

"Anyone else noticing a pattern with Hypnos gadgets not living up to all the hype?" Kazu asked innocently.

Mala repeated her request, immediately followed by Ryo hitting the same buttons again. Takato stared at the device. He knew that it wasn't the one that had been given to him, since his had been in his backpack which was missing, but he still hoped his last-resort effort for dealing with crappy electronics would work—he snatched the device from Ryo and threw it to the ground hard. His friends protested—at least, they_ started_ to, but before any of them could finish their thoughts the communicator hummed to life, a bright light projecting to the side from it.

Takato didn't bother seeing what kinds of looks everyone was giving him, and instead he hurried to where he'd thrown the device, stumbling on the way as the bump on his head reminded him of its presence. He stood the device upright and took a step back as the hologram flared up. It was almost a sphere, though a little wide at the sides, roughly a meter in diameter. The grid-lines on it were the next part to light up, and then finally the strange arm-like machines in the center, which supported two seats—originally Tally and Riley, though currently there was a young woman and a one-armed boy.

"We're here." Takato said flatly before repeating his initial question. "What the hell just happened?"

Both seats moved, Mala's much more frequently than Will's, who was probably still learning how to operate it. Still, it wasn't something Takato cared about at that time, as he was more concerned with having someone answer his question.

"Still trying to figure that out." Mala grumbled. "All the diagnostics we've run say the portal opened at the exact coordinates it should have."

_Sweet._

"Is everyone okay?" Will spoke up.

"Barely." Jeri replied. Takato felt her eyes on him but didn't answer. "Takato almost drowned."

_Right. Rika._

He turned to the redhead, and flashed a smile. "Thanks for that, by the way. I owe you one."

Rika smirked. "A few."

"We tried opening a portal to pull you back when Takato's communicator went offline." Mala explained. "But the only thing that came through to this end was a whole lot of water."

"Basement floors six and five are completely flooded. Just activated the backup generator for when the primary inevitably fails on us." Will grumbled, not bothering to hide his cynicism. Will was a self-conscious perfectionist, so Takato suspected that watching everyone nearly drown on his watch probably bothered the guy as much as it did everyone else.

Takato flashed a look at Ryo. He saw his friend's mouth open to say something to his brother, but it closed quickly, and Takato looked back to the image before Ryo could notice him staring.

"Question…" Kazu said, raising his hand. "Say Takato _did_ drown. If Ryo gets the leadership, do I get Jeri?"

"Obviously." Jeri answered simply, her poker-face still on. Takato wanted to say something, but the conversation had already ended before Takato realized what Kazu'd even said. He'd _heard_ everything, he just didn't bother to process it until several seconds later, but by then Mala had started speaking again.

"We've got this theory that whatever Cronus did affected more than just Hyperion." She explained. "We're still checking other verified coordinates, but _nothing_ is where it was before. At least, as far as our records show. We're trying to match your current location with something we have on file to get some sense of where you are."

Takato suppressed his paranoia of Mala using Cronus's name while inside Hypnos. Still, he knew that _she _knew what she was doing. Yamaki was out of the country, doing something or other that would make the money that would be funding the team's very expensive communication with the real world. Takato knew that Mala would be writing Yamaki doctored reports to keep Cronus and Henry's roles quiet, but he still didn't like the idea of Cronus's name being said there.

"Coordinates confirmed." Will reported, his seat raising slightly. "You're about four hundred kilometers east-southeast of Thalami."

"Thalami?" Jeri asked.

Takato'd heard the name before, but all he knew of it was that he was near there when he and Cronus were captured—when Henry was 'extracted'. Takato himself had been mostly unconscious, so all he really knew was that it was a city.

"It's one of the three main cities—bigger than Sarian, smaller than Hyperion." The Gazimon explained quickly.

"We should head there, warn them about Armageddemon." Ryo added.

"No." Takato countered flatly, staring at the hologram without really focusing on it.

He usually would have put more effort into shooting down one of his friend's ideas, but he didn't have time for that—just like he didn't have time to go to a city that would ignore them for being human anyways.

From what everyone had told him—incessantly—getting Hyperion to rally its forces had taken several days. Its army was by a wide margin, the largest force in the digital world, and it had barely survived the attack Henry had ordered. But next time it wouldn't just be an army—it would be Armageddemon itself, plus whatever new heralds it would create before then.

"If the next attack is going to be anything like the last one, Thalami's forces won't do us any good." Takato explained. "We go back to Hyperion. Find survivors—find Cronus. It's not like anyone at Thalami will listen to us anyways."

Though all of his friends were staring at him, only one of them was gutsy enough to reply right away.

"They'll listen." Rika said calmly before turning to her partner. "Renamon was appointed the fifth seat in the Circle. Remember?"

_Right. That._

"And any survivors of Hyperion would most likely head there…" Giz added thoughtfully.

"My point still stands. Even if their army supports us fully, it won't be any use when the real fighting starts." Takato declared quickly. "We head towards Hyperion, and track down Cronus."

Ryo scratched the back of his head, and Takato readied himself for the next objection.

_Why are they all being so difficult about this?_

"Look, uh, I know nobody really wants to bring this up, but should we really be betting everything on the hope that Cronus is actually going to help us?"

Takato's gut twisted.

"Excuse me?"

Ryo sighed, apparently regretting his choice of words—Takato was glad that his friend was at least trying to rephrase it.

"Like, I know he wants to do what's best and all that, but you saw him back underneath the city." Ryo went on. "He was so—"

"Absorbing that much power was probably disorienting." Will spoke up. Takato was grateful that at least one of them was sort-of on his side.

"I'm not talking about that—" Ryo elaborated. "Right _before_ he took all that power. He was damn near out of his mind. He wants Henry dead, and unless I'm mistaken, we _don't_."

Takato recalled it very well, since he'd been thinking about it nearly every hour of every day for the better part of a week.

_A week_.

A whole week of absolutely no surveillance on the two most volatile powers in both worlds. Takato'd spent most of the time wondering whether or not they'd even be too late getting back to the digital world—was _that_ something else that nobody wanted to bring up? Henry might be dead already—or Cronus—

Cronus.

Takato had heard his voice right before he woke up in the water. He tried to remember that his friend had said, but it was gone—just like a dream. It very well _could_ have been a dream. There certainly had been a lot of them, after all.

"Cronus is our best chance of making a stand against Henry." Takato declared, hiding his growing frustration. "He'll listen to me."

He was sure of it. Cronus was Guilmon, and Guilmon was a part of Takato. They were connected.

"What about Reed?" Ryo then sighed, clearly not wanting to bring that up.

Takato raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"Takato and I've narrowed the search to somewhere in Odaiba," Will reported. "but there's still a lot of names and addresses to sift through. I can pick up the search later."

Everyone looked confused.

"Odaiba…?" Jeri asked, clearly waiting for Takato to finish her thought.

He'd completely forgotten to tell them—Will had discovered reports of what was probably a digimon sighting in Odaiba years ago—and someone who'd been involved in the resulting cover-up shared the last name Ishida. It wasn't that Takato was hiding it, he just didn't think it was worth telling everyone. Besides, Will could very well have told everyone himself.

_Doubtful_.

The boy'd become more and more reclusive—aside from brief messages to Takato, Kazu was the only one he spoke with regularly. Just because Will lived with Ryo doesn't mean they exchanged complete sentences.

"It doesn't matter." Takato tried to change the subject. "Even if we found Reed we can't trust he'd come down on our side."

Again, there was the increasingly familiar silence which seemed to occur every time Takato said anything. He knew all his friends well—so while Kazu was the only one to actually say that he didn't think Takato's plan was a good one, he could tell that the others felt the same way.

But what they felt didn't matter.

He recalled a conversation with Ryo he'd had a few days before, when they were discussing whether or not Ryo would be returning to the digital world with Takato. Sure, alcohol had been an influence in the evening, but Ryo was his best friend, and had made it clear that he understood the situation—Cronus was their priority. Not Henry, and not Thalami.

"Let's go." Takato said flatly, picking the direction he knew was southwest, away from Thalami.

He'd already taken four steps forward before he heard any movement begin to follow him from behind. It made him nervous—didn't they trust him? Didn't they _agree_ with him? He knew he was right…Cronus was the only one who stood a chance against Henry, but even Takato doubted he could do it alone. They needed to find him. He was all that mattered.

"Takato?" Mala's voice spoke up. He turned to see the device in Rika's hand, hologram shut off, but the machine itself turned on. "Your vitals look—off."

Takato figured she was talking about his headache, and that—what he could only imagine was unsightly—lump.

"I'm fine." He said, staring at the small machine as if it were actually her.

"Could be a concussion." Will's voice suggested. "Whiplash from the portal in, maybe?"

"You should wait there for a few minutes while we make sure you're not in any—"

His friend stopped mid-sentence. To anyone just listening, it would have sounded like the device cut out—what Kazu would have declared 'Hypnos technology at its finest'. But anyone watching would have seen Takato take the device from Rika's hand, and power it down.

"Let's get to work."

* * *

"Communication terminated." A polite male voice informed the room.

Mala blinked twice. Her immediate reaction was the thought that the main generator had failed, just like Will anticipated. But everything was still running fine, so she knew it wasn't that. The communicator failed on their end, maybe?

_It's waterproof, that wouldn't be an issue._

"Pull up the log of what just happened, please?" Mala asked Will politely. Though his back was towards her, she imagined he was just as confused as she was.

"Yeah—how?" Will asked slowly.

_Right_.

He hadn't been through any actual training. He'd spent a few hours early that morning working with one of the technicians to optimize the terminal's performance to his expectations—he'd made a device that performed a similar function from materials in the digital world, and insisted it was the most effective way of monitoring.

It had been a change of plans, as originally the equipment was to be sent over to Ryo's apartment and Will would work from there, but it had been decided at the last minute that he'd be better off under Mala's supervision.

_I could have told them that._

Still, they didn't have time to completely redesign the interface, and while Mala wasn't one to argue with a genius, the boy had been a bit pushier than she'd expected. She'd only met him a few times—mostly when she went to visit Henry, as Will was in the class he tutored, but Will had always seemed more—timid than he'd been recently.

_Then again, after everything he's been through…_

Sure, Mala had spent a year in the digital dimension, living in a village where people thought she was crazy for insisting they weren't in the 'real' world…but even with the random monster attacks, she'd never come to any real harm—aside from one injury on her way out, that is—let alone suffered any life-changing _physical_ trauma. So yeah, as far as Mala was concerned, the guy was entitled to be as bitter as he wanted. Her mind started to wander to what exactly had happened between him and Ryo, but she mentally slapped herself and reoriented herself to the task at hand.

She pulled up the logs herself, hit a few keys to separate the processes that were run in the real and digital worlds, and then forwarded a copy to Will's visor. The raw data scrolled up—it usually took a few seconds before the system could translate it to something meaningful, but—

"There—doesn't that one mean a manual shutdown?" Will asked, pausing the feed.

_Uh, sure?_

The data translated itself, and the lines of code were replaced by coherent text—among them, the words 'manual shutdown'. She was too dumbfounded to even be impressed by the fact that Will recognized the code before the computer did—she was too busy being furious at the fact that Takato had cut the channel.

"He cut us off." She said aloud as if it wasn't obvious.

She hit the sequence which would raise the visor part off, and she clenched her eyes shut in preparation of actually seeing what was around her rather than what was being directed _to_ her. Mala hadn't been on the terminal much, and even the short exposures to it were giving her a headache. Still, she'd do what she could to help the others—to help Henry.

"What the hell is he thinking?" she asked aloud, more to herself than to Will.

"He's got a lot on his mind." The only other person in the room answered with a shrug as he turned leant around the back of the seat to face her. She smiled thoughtfully and punched in the override of his station, turning him so he'd be able to face her without as much discomfort.

"We've _all_ got a lot on our minds, he's just the only one who doesn't actually _realize_ it." Mala muttered.

The boy didn't say anything. Mala hadn't noticed it until just then, but she finally realized that what Will wore around his neck were a pair of goggles.

_To each their own, I guess._

She figured she should probably stop talking about Takato—it wasn't right for her to be venting about him to someone she didn't really know well. She loved Takato like an idol—after all, when she met him in the digital world, a part of her realized that he'd help her get out—and he had.

Mala wasn't exactly 'part of the team'. She doubted anyone other than Takato or Henry even knew she ever had a partner. Technically, she was more a part of Hypnos' team than the others'. But even if she hadn't been on the 'inside' of Hypnos long, she knew from both the time she'd spent there and from what Henry told her that Takato was Hypnos' ace in the hole.

He was smart, resourceful, dealt with stress well, and could always seem to resolve any situation that came at him. From what she'd read in the reports she'd snooped through that Yamaki'd sent to his superiors, Takato was someone who could handle any contingency.

But since Cronus had abandoned everyone—Takato had been different. He'd barely left his room, wouldn't return anybody's calls—he just didn't seem to be himself. Yamaki complained he'd been easily distracted in their meetings. She'd even heard talk from the security staff that Ryo had actually snapped at him for taking Will out of the apartment so shortly after the accident.

She sighed as the system went into standby mode from her inactivity, both seats slowly being lowered towards the ground. Unbuckling herself, she hopped out before she was supposed to, bouncing a little as she landed before holding her arms above her head and stretching.

"So what now?" Will asked, struggling to undo the strap with his left hand. She was ready to help him before he managed to get it himself.

"Now we go get some coffee, then wait for Takato to return our calls." She said enthusiastically, hoping she might even fool herself into believing it would be enjoyable.

No such luck.

* * *

Most people agreed that one could often 'feel' another's eyes on them. But at that moment, Ryo was convinced it wasn't true, because he'd been staring at the back of Takato's head for an hour, and his friend hadn't so much as wavered. Takato was at the the head of the group. Behind him and a few paces to the right was Ryo, and to the left was Jeri and Renamon. The others were behind him, so Ryo couldn't really see in what order they were in.

Ryo _could_, however, feel everyone else's eyes on himself. Well, Rika and Kazu, anyways. He figured they were either wondering what Ryo was staring at, or expecting him to say something about the fact that Takato had just shut down their only communication with the real world—the communication Mala was placing herself at risk by providing. Jeri was staring at Takato just as much as Ryo was, clearly lost in thought.

Seeing Will on the display had been awkward. Still, Ryo found some comfort in the fact that even if Will wouldn't speak to him directly, he was at least being—professional, if one could call it that. Mostly, he was just glad that Will hadn't chewed him out in front of everyone.

Ryo's shirt had dried, but the amount of dirt and sand that had been rubbed into it was itchy and uncomfortable. He knew his jeans were also going to be wet for a long while, and so he'd changed into some blue camouflage shorts. After the initial critique from Jeri about wearing a green pinstripe dress shirt with those shorts, he was at least more comfortable than he would have been.

_Maybe 'comfortable' isn't the word I'm looking for._

In fact, Ryo was very_ un_comfortable just then. An hour of silence with a group of nine would do that.

That, and his feet hurt—while there were several small patches of grass around, the ground itself was still sandy and uneven, making even walking a chore. Well, it probably wouldn't have been so bad if Ryo was actually watching where he was going, but his attention was locked on the person directly in front of him.

_Maybe if I just pull him aside and talked to him._

Takato had completely shot down everyone else's ideas. Not even ideas—suggestions. No—_opinions_. Takato had completely shot down everyone else's opinions. Something he'd _never_ done before.

Ryo trusted Takato, but was just wishing he could find the logic in Takato's plan—why in two worlds would they go back to Hyperion? Henry _would_ attack Thalami. It would make _sense_ to do it. If Ryo himself were possessed by an ancient megalomaniacal evil, _he_ would want to attack Thalami. It was the most likely place they could find Henry—and therefore, the most likely place they could find Cronus.

_Hey man, can I talk to you for a second?_

A simple question. Not too upfront, not at all aggressive. Passive, friendly, _respectful_.

_Right, then what?_

He hadn't thought that far ahead, but that's what all the planning was for. He decided he should start off with something—happy. Hopeful.

_So, when this is all over…_

Ryo shook his head to himself. No, that would be far too patronizing, Takato would see right through it.

_If we find Reed, we'll all have a better chance at getting through this—Cronus included._

Again, a horrible idea. Takato rightfully wanted nothing to do with that man, which was reasonable considering what Reed had done to him and Cronus.

Ryo knew he shouldn't have brought up the possibility that Cronus wouldn't help them—that maybe Cronus didn't _want_ to be found. But he should have used more tact than he did in bringing it up. He just hadn't been as—considerate of Takato's feelings, perhaps.

Cronus was like a brother to him, Ryo knew that.

_Brother—_

A memory rushed back to Ryo's mind—Takato had taken Will to see Giz in the Hypnos building the day before. Ryo'd stormed off…he felt bad about it later, but had been too busy to get ahold of Takato.

_Maybe if I apologize he'll actually listen to me._

A long shot, but still worth the effort. But he had one more thing to do before he'd try—he took his backpack off and almost put it on backwards, quietly unzipping it. He reached in and felt the cool metal of the communications device, fumbling for the switches and buttons needed to turn it on—at least, for a one-way channel. It took him a while, but he remembered what he should have been pressing, and did it slowly so as not to make any mistakes, compensating for the fact that he couldn't actually _see _what he was doing.

After putting the backpack on properly again, Ryo dug into his pocket and felt the cool metal of the 'Sarcasm Society' lighter Takato had given him as an early birthday present the day before. He clenched it tightly, preparing to make his move. He'd been in more battles than a soon-to-be-eighteen-year-old _should_ have been in, but preparing for that conversation was just as intimidating.

_Okay. Go time._

He jogged a few paces ahead so that he was even with Takato's right side. He flashed his friend a smile, but Takato didn't seem to notice.

"Uh, hey." Ryo said, gently nudging Takato with his shoulder, speaking quietly so that the others couldn't hear. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Maybe Takato had been planning the for conversation as well, because his answer came both quickly, and with confidence.

"No."

* * *

"Anything?"

"No." Will shook his head. "I think something may have happened to them."

"Happy thoughts." Mala murmured spiritlessly. "As much as I hate that place, I'm ready to portal in myself just to pound on Takato a little bit."

Will would have smiled politely if she could have seen his face past his visor, but she couldn't, so he didn't bother.

Disconnecting the channel _had_ been a pretty dumb move on Takato's part. Aside from it meaning the team wouldn't get any support from the real world, it was a huge slap in the face to Mala and Will, whose whole purpose _was_ to provide them with support.

He leaned back in the chair—it was actually quite comfortable, but it wasn't think taking a nap was an option. Will's hand had found its way to the goggles draped around his neck that Takato had given him just after the accident. The gesture had meant a lot to Will—and it bothered him that he could tell Takato was now the one who was upset, and there was nothing that could be done to help change it.

They simply couldn't even find them without the communicator being active. In addition to communicating with the real world, it sent out a sort of pulse—it read physiological activity in humans that were too specific and undetectable for the ones at Hypnos, which were meant to monitor the world as a whole—even if Will was staring at the ground the Tamers were on, he wouldn't be able to see _them_.

"Ideas?" he asked with a sigh.

He heard Mala let out a 'hmm' noise that he assumed meant 'no'.

"We could do a sweep for some low-level readouts…" she started. "Hope that Rika's toxic or something."

_Rika_.

Will had nearly forgotten that _she_ had some of Armageddemon's data in her, too. It was a better idea than anything Will had come up with…but still, he was doubtful.

"The data she absorbed is virtually undetectable…" he replied glumly. "Besides, we didn't even notice anything wrong with Henry, and—"

He stopped. After everything that had happened to Will over the last few days he'd become slightly more forthright, but he still knew he didn't have any right to say what he had—at least, not like that.

Will didn't know Mala very well, but he knew that she cared about Henry a lot—and that Henry—the _real_ Henry cared about her, too.

"I'm sorry." Will said quickly, taking off his visor.

Mala didn't take off hers, however, instead hitting buttons that Will expected did nothing, as she was probably just pretending to look too busy to be bothered. Still, he felt bad.

"Don't worry about it." Mala said flatly. "With the work we've got ahead of us…and after everything the Destroyer's done in his name—I'm well-prepared to hear worse than that."

Will frowned, still feeling guilty. He started to put his visor back on when he noticed something blink out of the corner of his eye—something he wouldn't have seen if he hadn't taken his helmet off.

"There's an open connection in area X564." Will declared hastily, struggling to pull the machine back over his head. It was a little lopsided—well,_very_ lopsided—enough that he was only able to see out of his right eye as the strap was covering his left.

But still, it was enough for him to see what he was doing, and without asking for Mala's help, he was able to lock in on the signal. It was southwest-ish of where their portal opened—they were headed towards Hyperion, where Takato insisted they go.

"Takato, this is Will." Will said aloud. "Can you hear me?"

Sure, he wasn't using proper protocol, but he didn't really care, and he suspected that Mala didn't either. Several seconds passed.

"Maybe the communicator _did_ short out." He suggested, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Mala was hitting buttons, but he didn't realize exactly what until the same diagnostics as before were forwarded to his visor, which he had since adjusted to fit his head properly.

The data rolled up as before, but there was nothing he recognized that time, and it bothered him having to wait the extra six seconds for the computers to process the data.

It was just system specs, though—data he hadn't seen enough of to make any good sense of it.

The girl on the seat behind him, however, _did_ seem to know what was going on.

"Speakers are off." She declared. "Maybe someone doesn't want Takato to know we're listening in?"

He frowned, still unsure of what was going on with everybody. "So what do we do?"

"I guess watching and listening is all we _can_ do."

The boy nodded to himself, and began to adjust some switches, doing his best to clear out the interference.

* * *

"Hold."

Jeri couldn't see anything, but she did as Renamon ordered, stopping in place, albeit curiously.

There was still sand underfoot, but far more grass than there had been an hour and a half earlier. Her feet hurt, but she didn't say anything, given the fact that they clearly had bigger things to worry about—such as whatever Renamon had suggested everyone stop for.

Jeri could tell that the others were as confused as she was. Kazu and Rika both looked ready for a fight, Ryo looked as curious as Jeri felt, and Takato just looked impatient. But whatever Renamon noticed, Guardromon, Cyberdramon, and Giz all seemed to have noticed as well.

_Clearly a digimon-thing_.

She wanted to ask what had happened, but didn't want to risk speaking—just in case being silent was part of some combat instinct that Renamon would rather not have Jeri defy. Instead she glanced at the digimon, trying to read some body language—which turned out to be incredibly easy, given the fact that they were all _staring_ at something at the top of a very small hill—a stick.

As far as Jeri could tell from her position, it was about two inches in diameter, and at least a foot of it was sticking out of the ground, plus however much was buried. But it stood perfectly upright—a marker.

"Something's there." Renamon said calmly, fists clenched, clearly ready to pounce.

"It's a stick." Kazu declared.

"No." the Gazimon murmured. "There's something there…something—"

"Powerful." Guardromon finished.

She looked to Takato, and the others did the same shortly after. Takato looked thoughtful for a moment, before letting out a sigh. "Spread out."

They had five people and only four digimon, but they did their best to even it out as they circled around the mound of dirt, Jeri winding up with Guardromon to her left and Takato to her right. Part of her expected something to burst out of the earth and maim them all—not that she was becoming pessimistic.

Everyone stared at it for several seconds before Giz finally advanced, the small digimon standing at the top of the little hill, putting him just above eye-level with Jeri. He was examining the stick, which seemed bare, and sniffing around.

"Maybe you were wrong." Takato said aloud, looking to Renamon.

Before the fox could answer, though, Giz started digging.

* * *

"This is strange." Mala said nervously.

"Tell me about it…" Will murmured. "These readings don't make any sense."

Mala just stared at the information projected on her visor. The data that made up digital life had almost a tag on it—an extra little bit of code at the end of every line that was what separated them from objects in the world—what made Renamon's readings different from Takato's shoes.

But whatever Mala and Will were detecting—whatever the Tamers were _digging_ for had that tag, but that was it—it was a digimon, but at the same time, it wasn't reading like any digimon they'd ever detected.

_Something powerful, but not quite a digimon…_

She saw Will lean over the side of his seat, looking at her through his visor. "Do you think it might be…?"

It could be Cronus, but somehow, she doubted it. She had a bad feeling, but she knew that one way or another, she was about to find out what was there—and even if she were able to get data that would confirm some kind of danger, it wasn't like she could tell them about it anyways.

_Okay. So the Sit-And-Do-Nothing game continues._

* * *

Rika was getting impatient, but she was getting worried, too. Giz and Guardromon were the only ones digging—Renamon and Cyberdramon were both ready to kill whatever was down there—besides, Cyberdramon probably didn't have the—_finesse _required to unearth something intact.

They'd only been digging for a few minutes, but they were certainly making progress. Rika's curiosity was leaning more towards wondering _why_ they were digging. If the digimon was underground and not coming after them, then it probably wasn't a threat. Also, Renamon and the others seemed to think it was powerful, but they didn't sound as alarmed as if it had been one of the Destroyer's heralds. In Rika's opinion, it was a waste of time.

But on the other hand, there was a part of her that _wanted_ to see the digimon there—because of something she'd noticed—something nobody had brought up yet: that they'd been in the digital world for almost two hours, and haven't seen _any_ digimon. Nothing in the distance, nothing flying. Just—_nothing_. Something wasn't right.

Her thoughts were cut short by a silence—Giz and Guardromon had stopped digging. Rika was at the bottom of the mound, and therefore couldn't see down into the hole—she was mostly ready to slash a card, as Ryo was, but she dropped her guard when she saw the digimon all do the same.

She glanced at Ryo, who returned the look before taking a nervous few steps to see what the fuss was about. What she saw in the hole, however, was cloth, wrapped around something round. Something the size of a human head. Something that _was—_

"Oh, God…" Rika gasped, realizing it was a body down there, turning around and taking a few steps away.

When she turned to see the others she could tell that Ryo had done the same, and was walking towards her, while everyone else still up there—starting to dig again.

"You okay?" Ryo asked.

She wasn't—not because it was a body, but because it didn't make any sense.

"Something's not right." She said simply. "That's a _body_."

He nodded slowly. "I know. It's pretty awful—"

"No, I mean it's a_ body_." She repeated herself, Ryo obviously not following. "Things in this world don't _leave_ bodies."

Ryo looked thoughtful, before his expression turned grim. "If it's a human, then—I mean, we don't have any experiences with humans dying in—"

She didn't have to remind him, as he cut himself off. They did have experience with a human dying in the digital world—Adrie. And just like every other life in the digital world, when she died, she broke apart into data.

"Something's up." She blurted out, her mind racing too quickly to even regret how inarticulate she was being. "This just—it doesn't make any sense. All the coordinates are different than they should be, and now—a body."

The thought bothered her, a lot. However serious things were in the digital world, it was never as—_real_ as it was in the other world. Most of the Tamers had been beaten and stabbed and _worse_ while in the digital world, but—

_Get over it._

It even surprised herself that she was able to make it that simple. She simply _had_ to get over it. The uncomfortable feeling in her stomach went away, and her breathing returned to a normal pace. But she wasn't just repressing everything—she remained well-aware of the situation.

It was only one body they'd seen, so it wasn't even a pattern yet, but she was prepared for it—that it might be corpses that they're dealing with, not data. It was a morbid thought, but it didn't change anything—the goals were still clear. Stop Henry. _Save_ Henry.

Ryo was still looking at her nervously—maybe it wasn't obvious from looking at her that she'd pulled herself together. Rika nodded at him.

"I'm okay." She reassured him. "Just—surprised, that's all."

Ryo nodded back. "The fifth Sovereign's power probably was responsible for a lot of the things that happen 'naturally' in this world…we'll have to keep our eyes peeled."

She smiled at him, and a wave of gratitude washed over her. It had been an awkward fight they'd had when she'd told him that she didn't want him going back to the digital world—a fight they'd never even talked about afterwards. But if it were to come up, Rika was ready to apologize for it, because as much as she loved Ryo and didn't want him in danger, she was infinitely grateful for being able to know that he was right there with her.

"Guys…" Jeri's voice called nervously.

Ryo turned around to see her, while Rika simply had to step to the side to see past him. Jeri was visibly upset, and the uncomfortable feeling in Rika's stomach returned when she opened her hand to reveal a small silver pin with an insignia on it.

Ryo picked it up and examined it closer, while Rika took a step forward to get a better look. She recognized the design of it, but she couldn't recall exactly where.

"Circle…?" Ryo asked carefully, earning himself a nod from Jeri.

It came back to Rika with that—the members of the Circle of Telesto had them. The insignia was Hyperion's crest. But if it was on a body—

"It's Wisemon." Jeri said solemnly. "Th—the body. It's him."

Rika swallowed hard as the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach came back.

* * *

Everyone had gathered back next to the mound after the digimon finished reburying the body. Takato was still stuck on the fact that there _was_ a body, however. Not just that it was Wisemon's, but that it was there. Henry must have done something to the world that—

"So what do we do?" Kazu asked nobody in particular, breaking Takato's thoughts.

"We keep going." He replied instantly.

Of _course_ they'd keep going. Just because Henry's screwed up the digital world to the point that bodies don't—

"You don't think this changes anything?" Ryo spoke up, evidently concerned. "This is big news. We need to find out more about this—what it _means_—and going to Thalami is our best chance at finding someone who can tell us what the hell's going on."

Takato took a deep breath, but it didn't calm him as much as he'd hoped it would—not that he'd _expected_ it to. That was the second time that day alone that Ryo'd called him out on a decision—in fact, it was the second time he'd done it in a very long time. Whatever Ryo had up his ass didn't matter—Takato wasn't going to be undermined by someone who was in a crabby mood.

"We _know_ what's going on." Takato retorted. "Henry's growing more powerful, and is—"

"We don't know that." Ryo protested once more. "The power Henry took was Armageddemon's—the power that_ Cronus_ took was what kept this world—"

He could feel his heart rate increasing, and it wasn't an entirely enjoyable experience.

"Don't put this on him!" Takato said sternly, though he hadn't actually lost his temper. He was just really pissed that they—no, that Ryo was blaming Cronus for what Henry had done. "_Henry_'s the one on the killing spree, not Cronus. _Henry_'s the one who attacked Hyperion—twice. _Henry_'s the one who—"

Takato froze, however, the instant he heard a voice behind him belonging to someone that it couldn't possibly.

"Everything's going to be all right, Takato." Cronus said soothingly.

"W—what?" he stammered, spinning around to see only Kazu, Jeri, and Rika.

Jeri stepped forward and touched his shoulder gently, giving him what he recognized as her most reassuring smile. "I said, everything's going to be all right."

_But—how…?_

"Takato." Ryo said simply.

Takato would have turned to face Ryo, but he was caught on the look of sadness on Jeri's face. What was she sad about…?

"We've been gone from this world longer than we should have, I know." Ryo explained. "And we both know that our next move is _crucial_, but you haven't even been listening to any suggestions we've made since we got here. So I just want you to look me in the eye and tell me you're _sure_ this is where we should be going."

And that was it.

"That an order?" Takato sneered, spinning around to face Ryo directly. "Boss? My _boss_?"

To his surprise, everyone actually shut up. For whatever reason, his friends had picked that time to actually pay attention. Takato took two slow steps towards his friend.

_Why am I so mad at him…? He's my—_

Ryo looked confused, and for a half second Takato actually believed that Ryo didn't realize what he'd been doing—calling him out like that…in front of everybody. _Again_. Takato was the leader, and seeing that everybody was wet, tired, confused, and scared, the last thing they needed to see was Ryo questioning his ability to do his damn job.

"Oh, wait—you're_ not_ the one in charge of this whole thing…are ya?" Takato went on thoughtfully. He suddenly raised his hands in front of his chest and held them together, speaking with the joy and innocence as if he'd made an insightful discovery. "We're _not_ playing a stupid card game! And we're _not_ trying to impress random fan girls…"

Takato started to pace in a tight circle around his original position, meeting all of his friends and the digimon in the eye as he spoke.

"So who around here is _actually_ in charge…who here _actually_ makes the decisions? No, no—now don't tell me, don't tell me…" He gave a sarcastic chuckle as he started to turn back towards Ryo, his voice sharpening with every word. "Let's see, hmm—I think it's coming to me—yeah, I'm pretty sure that would be, uh—_me_."

By the end he was nearly snarling, but Ryo was still looking innocent. Or pretending to look innocent, Takato really wasn't sure anymore.

"I _know_ that you're in charge!" Ryo protested. "And I know that you're _good_ at making decisions—but the choices you've been making have been impulsive, and they've been shortsighted."

"_I'm_ shortsighted?" Takato scoffed, barely containing a laugh before his tone shifted back. "Because _your_ decisions have _really_ been a shining example lately."

Ryo froze. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Takato scoffed at the audacity of Ryo's denial. He didn't even know where to begin.

"How about thinking you're qualified to be in command of an army?" Takato suggested, letting a laugh escape. He knew Ryo'd done exceptionally well given the circumstances, but Cerberumon and Grademon were the militant forces in Hyperion—not a guy from Shinjuku.

Takato took a step forward, staring his friend down hard.

"Or working with Reed?" Takato went on. "Way I recall, he told you that Rika was in danger, and instead of actually _warning_ her when you see her, you just get in one of your little squabbles you seem to find so fun?"

Ryo held his ground strong, but his demeanor wasn't holding quite as firmly. "Reed's been working _against_ Henry all this time, he's not—"

Again, Takato couldn't help but laugh. Sure, Ryo hadn't been _personally_ tortured and taken captive by Reed, but Takato had a distinct memory of it, so his bitterness was pretty much justified. And hey, asking for a little support in that situation wasn't asking for too much.

"Right, right, right—you and Reed go way back." Takato recalled. "You think anyone here actually believes that you don't remember what happened with you two back then? Y'know, maybe it's _not_ Cronus everyone should be suspecting, Ryo. I mean really, you've been _just_ as suspicious as he has."

Ryo scoffed at him, clearly not taking him seriously. "What are you talking about?"

"Gee, I don't know, Ryo. Have you _died_ lately?" Takato asked indignantly.

Kazu finally spoke up with a shrug.

"Yeah, but really, who here hasn't?" Kazu said, no doubt referring to his own death-or-near-death experience at the hand of Reed's and Henry's underlings.

Takato just ignored him. It was true; everybody except Jeri had been frighteningly close to death at one point or another. Takato and Cronus had been captured by Reed's soldiers, Kazu'd been missing for about a week, Rika'd been critically injured in the fight against Gigadramon…

"_Look_ Takato," Ryo started slowly, his palms facing Takato as if making a peace offering. "I'm just saying we should take some time to think about this."

Ryo didn't trust Cronus—Takato knew it. Not just from what Ryo was saying then, but back when everyone'd been split up, it had been Ryo that put the thought into his friends' minds that Cronus was the Destroyer. Ryo was supposed to be Takato's friend—how could he have—no, he wouldn't have. Not unless he'd been lying about understanding.

After they'd gone back to the real world, Ryo'd told Takato that he understood his need to find Cronus—because if it had been _Ryo's_ family who was lost, alone—_trapped_ in the digital world, then he'd go without question. He just—no, that _couldn't_ be what this was about…

Takato'd taken Will to see his partner for the first time since he'd received his D-Arc. Ryo'd been pissed about it—he'd been mad that Takato'd taken him out of the house so soon after the accident, but they'd apologized to each other right after, and—

—_No, we didn't apologize, Ryo just took off. And then Renamon said that I was the only one she'd never seen him fight with._

Takato was sure that Ryo wasn't petty enough to use that as the fuel for his behavior. Pretty sure, at the very least.

_Breathe_.

Finally, a good idea. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled quietly. But however quietly he'd done it didn't matter, because the sound of a pin dropping would have been deafening in that atmosphere.

He felt everyone's eyes on him, but he locked his stare on Ryo, who was doing the same.

"What I do here is _my_ job." Takato said calmly. "You don't like how I do it, you can leave."

Of course, it wasn't what Takato wanted—but it was what he'd said. It had been a while since he'd succumbed to that whole human tendency to get caught up in 'the moment'. Still, though, at that moment, Takato couldn't feel anything but anger towards Ryo. It had been a long time since he'd felt that kind of fury—he was pretty sure he didn't even hate _Reed_—the pompous bastard—that much.

_But—why's Ryo acting like this?_

"Takato, it's _me_." Ryo protested. "You _know_ I only want to help you—"

_Now he's just being patronizing._

"Well _don't_." Takato barked. "I don't care if you think you're helping—you're not. You think the guilt from everything is getting to me? _You're_ the one who feels guilty!"

_Please don't make me say this—_

Takato didn't want to. He knew he shouldn't have even blurted that much out. But a part of him wanted to say it. A part of him _wanted_ to hurt Ryo.

"What the hell are you going on about now?" Ryo asked, frustrated, impatient.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about." Takato growled. "If you hadn't lied to him so fucking much, he wouldn't have been in that car!"

* * *

Will's mouth went dry. He didn't feel much at the time, but he knew he didn't want to listen to any more of it. He hit a few buttons, trying to make the sounds of the arguing stop, but he didn't remember what they were—rather, he hadn't yet _learned_ how to fully operate the channels. He _did_, however, remember how to control the station, and he pressed the combination of three keys that lowered both him and Mala to the floor.

He lowered his head to pull himself out of the visor, the noises of everyone shouting still audible as he climbed to his feet. He stepped around to see Mala in the station behind him. He was ready to apologize for lowering her, too, but she spoke first.

"You okay?" she asked in a calming voice.

Will wasn't, but he didn't feel like talking about it, especially to someone he barely knew—however nice she was. First he'd learned of the death of a digimon who had been nice to him, and then he'd become an excuse for people to start yelling at each other. He'd simply had enough for one day.

"Can you drive me home?"

* * *

Kazu managed to keep his grip on Takato's arms despite how much force he was putting into moving forward. Directly behind him was Rika, who was keeping Ryo back at arm's length in order to keep as much distance between the pair. Takato was probably more pissed about the fact that Kazu was restraining him, while Ryo's anger was most likely from the verbal assault Takato had been going on with. At least Ryo hadn't appeared to have _completely_ lost his mind.

"You need to back off, _right _now." Ryo said, clearly close to losing it.

Of course, Takato took that as more provocation, and lunged again. It took Kazu by surprise, and he managed to get his arms free. But Kazu moved quickly enough, wrapping his right arm around Takato's torso at the elbow, holding him in place with the left. When Takato inevitably moved again, his head hit Kazu's jaw, which hurt like a bitch, but at least he wasn't going anywhere.

If they were doing things Kazu's way, he'd have knocked them both out. Well, maybe just Takato, but Ryo deserved a good smack—not for questioning Takato, but for not bringing everything up _before_ they got to the digital world.

Kazu wouldn't admit it, but he was a little disappointed in Jeri, too. She probably should have said something instead of leaving it all to Ryo. Maybe she just didn't want to it to seem like everyone was ganging up on him, but still—both her and Ryo saw Takato more than anyone else had—_knew_ him even better than everyone else did. He'd expect that at least one of them would know how to calm him down.

As for the situation itself—Kazu actually agreed with Takato—he suspected that Wisemon's body—and what he could only imagine were countless other ones—was the result of Henry, not Cronus. As for where to go, Thalami or Hyperion, he didn't really care—rather, he was unsure of the benefits of either. But as far as Takato's behavior was concerned, Kazu had worries about everyone's safety being in Takato's hands for the time. He'd understandably been under a lot of stress. Even someone as great a leader as Takato had a breaking point.

Then again, Takato'd been right out of line suggesting that Will's accident was Ryo's fault—Kazu only ever _thought_ that. It was quieter, and less of a jackass-y thing to do that way.

Kazu could hear Rika saying something, but he was too focused on what he was doing to pay attention. Whatever she was saying, he was pretty sure she was saying it to Ryo, so at least she wasn't directly contributing to Kazu being headbutted in the jaw again.

Ryo, however, was just making Kazu's job more difficult.

"You're out of your mind." Ryo said with a little laugh of disbelief. "You're actually out of your mind."

Kazu was fast, but Takato was faster. He should have noticed the pressure behind his right ankle, but before he realized that Takato had placed his foot behind Kazu, it was too late, and Takato pushed free—pushed _back_, and Kazu fell to the ground.

The ground was soft, so neither the push or the fall provided any pain, but Kazu was irritated by the large, jagged rock he'd nearly smashed his head off of on the way down. He was helped up by Rika, but by the time he actually looked, however, Ryo had already taken a punch to the face, and was on the ground.

Cyberdramon growled, but Takato didn't waver, and Ryo held up a hand to call his partner off.

Takato was just looking at him. He almost looked _lost_. If Kazu hadn't just been thrown into a pile of uncomfortable digital dirt, he'd actually feel sorry for him.

"You're attacking your friends now?" Ryo said it as more of a statement than a question, but it was obvious he was trying to appeal to something in Takato.

"Ryo…" Jeri said finally, approaching the taller boy as he climbed to his feet.

"Why are you still standing up for him?" Ryo demanded furiously.

Jeri's voice was somber.

"I'm not."

Two words. That was all it took. Kazu'd exhausted himself holding Takato in place, and nearly had his head bashed off of a rock, but with those two words, it was almost as if Jeri's fired a tranquilizer at Takato, because he just stopped. And that was _before_ she actually looked at him.

She turned slowly, and Kazu was impressed that her eyes weren't even watering.

"Takato, I love you." She said simply. "I really do…please believe me. Whatever happens, I want you to know—"

_Might not be short on tears after all_.

Takato looked absolutely devastated. "What are you saying?"

"We've got a mission. We've got friends on the line—we've got _worlds_ on the line." The redhead didn't waver. "But we can't do that if you're in charge."

Kazu noticed that Rika was staring at him, and he nodded back to her—a signal that in the off-chance Takato tried anything, he was in a position to tackle him down.

_Not that he would. It would take more than going-crazy-with-stress for Takato to ever lay a hand on Jeri._

And as Kazu expected, Takato took a step back. He covered his face in his hands while breathing deeply, all the while those tears Kazu'd been wondering about started welling up in Jeri's eyes.

Takato took a few more steps, walking in a half-circle, before he seemed to have finally collected himself.

"I'm going after Cronus." Takato said, some of only a few words he'd said in the conversation sounding actually civil. It was also only the second time in the conversation that Takato actually looked Kazu in the eye—granted, he'd looked at all of them in turn, ending with Jeri. "_Don't_ follow me."

With that, Takato turned, and he walked away. Kazu started walking after him to bring him back, but was halted by a grip on his arm. He looked at the trembling hand belonging to Jeri, whose wet eyes were still locked on Takato as he stalked off alone. No supplies. No friends.

"Don't." she whimpered. "Just—"

Kazu was hesitant, but he finally nodded, and her hand let him go, before Jeri turned and buried her face in Rika's shoulder, sobbing.

He thought about following Takato, he really did. He knew he wasn't going to, though. He even knew he'd probably regret it, since with those odds he might not ever even see Takato again—not alive.

Kazu glanced to Ryo, who had the cuff of his jacket pressed against his lip, soaking up some of the blood that Kazu hadn't noticed until then. But after a few seconds Ryo turned away and began to walk, Cyberdramon and Giz at his sides.

Rika gently pulled Jeri away—Kazu couldn't see her face from where he was standing, but he could only assume she was still crying. The two girls then turned to follow Ryo.

He then looked to his partner, who seemed to understand that Kazu was still contemplating following Takato. He hated having to choose, but he shook his head, and Guardromon nodded, and proceeded to go after the others.

Kazu took one last look at the team's former leader before he turned and did the same.

* * *

"_I'm so sorry it had to happen like that, Takato…but they can't help you. Not Ryo, not Jeri—not any of them. I told you once that I'd be there for you. I am. But for now, you know where you need to go. Don't stop, and don't look back. Your friends are in your past—your future is at Hyperion. Now go."_

* * *

Wow, be sure to stay the hell out of Takato's way when he snaps.

Takato was out of his mind there, but I'm sure everyone can relate to saying something they shouldn't have—to some_one_ you shouldn't have—in a moment of frustration.

Over and out,

-N


	27. Fallout

"_I remember when I first met you—you and Renamon attacked Takato and I…it was like another lifetime, wasn't it? I suppose it hasn't been that long in terms of the average human lifespan, but maybe it just seems like it because of how different you were back then._

_Sure, I'm the one who _looks _different, but_you're_the one who's changed. Loner. Ice Queen. Antisocial. Hateful. They used to apply, but they no longer bear any reflection on who you are. But what interests me most is that your change was like an evolutionary process…as much as everyone was _pressuring _you to, you became who you are on your _own_, at your own pace._

_And if you can do that, Rika, then maybe there's hope for me after all."_

…_What?_

Rika jumped at the pressure of two firm taps between her shoulder and neck, the familiar voice promptly fading. She spun around to see Kazu looking at her quizzically.

"What?" she asked bluntly, not actually angry, but embarrassed that he'd made her jump.

"I called over to you twice." He defended himself. "I mean, I know it's boring listening to them go back and forth, but if I'm not allowed to space out and take a nap, then neither are you."

"Touche."

She smirked. Rika no longer remembered what she'd even been thinking about, and refocused herself on her surroundings.

"What do you mean '_gone_'?" Mala echoed for the second time since Rika started paying attention again.

Rika winced. It had only been two hours since the confrontation—Ryo'd questioned Takato's ability to lead, and Takato'd completely lost it. The two'd torn into each other—had Rika and Kazu not been there to restrain them, the tearing would have been literal. After all'd been said, though, Takato had taken off…and Rika and the others had let him.

The worst part? That she wasn't sure if she would have done anything differently. She loved Takato like a brother, but he was out of line, bigtime. But poor Jeri, having to listen to it all happen…Rika became momentarily distracted from Ryo explaining himself to Mala over the communications device by glancing to her friend.

Jeri had her arms crossed in front of her stomach, repeating a slow line back and forth about a dozen paces away from where Rika stood. Off to the side, Kazu was moving much quicker and more anxiously than the redhead, Guardromon matching his stride both loudly and curiously.

"…and you just let him _walk_ away." Mala finished Ryo's explanation for him.

"Yes."

Rika couldn't tell who was more pissed—Ryo for having to explain himself multiple times, or Mala for learning what had happened.

"Ryo, why the hell would you let him go off _alone_ and _unarmed_ when we have no idea what's out there?" Mala asked frantically. "He could get hurt—he could get _killed,_he_—_"

"—did you _hear_ him?" Ryo interrupted, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Or were you off on a coffee break?"

_True…Mala _was _supposed to be watching us, but Takato'd turned the comm. unit off._

"Believe me, Ryo, we heard enough." Mala retorted. "You turned the unit on just in time for us to hear the two of you argue whose fault it was that Will lost his arm."

Rika looked to him, and in an instant saw his face run pale. Rika herself hadn't realized that Ryo'd turned the device back on—that Will and Mala had even heard the argument, never mind the fact that they knew Will's accident had been brought up…and from the horrified look on Ryo's face, she guessed he'd forgotten about it too.

"Is he okay?" Ryo asked finally, quietly.

_Poor kid…_

"I don't know." Mala responded glumly. "When his name came up, he got out of his station and asked me if I could take him home…I drove him back, he went to bed, I called someone from security to keep supervision over him, came back here—and here we are."

Ryo sighed, as did Rika.

_And this is one of many reasons why our lives suck._

"Look, as much as I don't want to admit it, there isn't anything we can do for Takato right now." Mala sighed, trying too hard to sound strong. "Even if he hadn't lost his supplies during the transit from the real world, he wouldn't have brought his D-Arc with him anyways. The only thing we can do right now is to save Henry."

_Right, Takato gave his D-Arc to Cronus. No chance of tracking him that way._

Rika winced a little. She'd been so distracted by the _normal_ dangers in the digital world that Takato was exposed to…but what if Henry went after him?

Like the thousands of other worries that were already wracking her brain, Rika simply shoved it to the back of her mind, and didn't let it show.

* * *

The alarm beeped, and the radio turned on. Before going to sleep, he'd set placed it at the foot of the bed so he'd be less likely to just reach over and turn it off. He couldn't quite hear what the DJ was talking about, but he thought he heard the word 'concert', so he had no interest anyways. He lay there for several moments, his eyes feeling so comfortable being closed. Nobody yelling. Nobody bickering. Nobody throwing punches every other minute. Nothing but peace and quiet.

The DJ stopped talking, and was replaced by the ear-piercing sound of his personal kryptonite—country music came on.

"Ugh!" Will groaned, kicking the alarm hard enough for it to fall from the endtable, though not hard enough for it to become unplugged.

_Damn it_…

He sat up promptly—the uncomfortable lightheadedness was his punishment for that. The antibiotics that he was on were absolutely agonizing. Headaches. Nausea. Pain. Exhaustion. Trouble sleeping. And chronic grumpiness as a result of all the other side-effects. He hated it, but he kept taking them all anyways—not because of the fact that they were necessary to the healing process, but because he was too scared to discover that all the depression was probably his own, and not an illusion created by the drugs.

Clumsily and awkwardly crawling forward, he dropped to his chest at the end of the bed and reached to unplug the radio. He lay there for a few moments before actually getting up—it was a bittersweet minute, comfortably tired, yet still somehow refreshed.

He'd set the alarm for half-past six…he didn't usually get up that early, but he also didn't usually go to bed as early as he had, after listening in on Takato and Ryo's spat. It had been depressing, and not just because Will's own name had been used as a weapon. And not just because two best friends just destroyed their friendship because of a few poorly-chosen words…but because it happened they were both trying to shove their good intentions down each other's throats.

He still had two and a half hours before he had to get back to Hypnos…as far as he knew, Mala probably worked the midnight shift, and was probably going to sleep when Will got there to take over. She'd taught him a lot the previous day, at least, all he needed for that day's work. According to the plan, the team still had a long ways to go before they got to Thalami—they wouldn't be there by the time Will's shift was over.

He showered and got dressed quickly, though there wasn't any rush. He still technically had homework to do—his teachers told him he didn't have to do it, though, and to just take things easy after the accident, and for the first time in his life he was ready to neglect his schoolwork. There were More important things to do.

_Like have breakfast._

Will'd left the cereal box on the counter from the day before…no point in putting it away when breakfast was going to be the only meal he'd eat at home for the next while. He nearly broke another bowl trying to get it out of the cupboard, his hands still wet from the shower. He'd broken five of the eight bowls of the set, plus a few plates. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was grateful that Ryo hadn't said anything about it.

The phone rang, startling him, and the sixth bowl fell to the floor. He winced as it tumbled, but it landed on the small carpet in front of the sink with a hollow _clunk_, not shattering like all the others. He picked it up carefully and set it on the table, hurrying to answer the phone, which was on its third ring. Glancing at the display only told Will that it was from an unidentified number.

"Hello?" he said with a sigh, not realizing how tired he was until he saw the sun out the window.

"Has Hypnos assigned you a company email address yet?" a man asked him quickly.

Will raised an eyebrow. "Who is this?"

He couldn't place who it was, but he'd heard the voice before…recently.

"Yes or no?" the man demanded flatly, but not aggressively.

"Yes." Will answered, not entirely sure if he should have. He paused, before repeating himself. "Who is this?"

Of course, the man on the other end didn't answer the question, but instead went on with his own agenda. "Listen carefully. I think I know how to save your friend."

Will paused, genuinely uncertain. "Which one?"

"What?" The man asked, temporarily dropping the whole cloak-and-dagger persona and expressing actual concern. "Henry."

_Click_.

"…Delta?" Will asked carefully. That was the voice—Reed's partner, the one who'd spoken with Will on Reed's phone, and instructed him how to get Hyperion's defences up and running again.

"There's an email I just sent to you. It's encrypted as spam, but there's a dormant program coded into it." Delta went on, not dignifying Will's question, yet confirming it at the same time. "When you get to Hypnos, extract it, and run it."

Will hesitated, trying to think of how to hang an air-freshener on his impending refusal.

"Um, no?" he tried. "This isn't my first day on the job. I—I mean it's my second, but I'm not gonna run any mystery programs on their systems."

A pause. Surely, the guy couldn't have actually expected Will to blindly follow orders from someone he didn't even know. And if he _had_ expected him to, then frankly, Will felt a little insulted.

"Then we need to meet." Delta sighed finally. "Can you get to Odaiba tomorrow morning?"

_Odaiba. Knew it._

"Yeah." Will nodded to himself.

He'd have to skip off watching the team from Hypnos, but since they'd probably just turn the monitors off—_again_—meeting with Reed's partner seemed like a better use of his time.

"I'll email you an address, then." Delta finished, a bit of hesitation sounding in his voice.

"Okay." Will agreed. He stopped for a moment, before gathering the courage. "Just—one condition."

"What?" Delta sounded skeptical.

"…What's your name?" Will finally asked.

He wasn't entirely sure he'd get a response, but he was curious. He didn't want to have to keep referring to this guy by an alias if he was going to be working with him at all. Sure, his name probably wasn't important, and while working with him was probably going to get Will closer to finding out more about Reed and his nephew, but Delta's real name wouldn't help at all with that. It was a matter of trust—of respecting Will enough to identify him by who he is.

A long silence. For a moment, he thought that the man had hung up, and Will was about to do the same when he heard him speak again.

"It's Davis."

* * *

The walk was awkward—like the last several weeks of their lives had been. In real-world time it was only early-morning, so there were a few hours before Will took over for Mala, and Rika predicted things become slightly more awkward still.

Her mp3 player, of course, had been in her backpack that she lost at the lake, so she had no music—something she usually used to keep herself sane during those long treks. Hell, she'd even packed a novel, since she learned from her experience that the majority of their time in the digital world was spent walking around. For some reason, she and Kazu were the only ones who ever brought entertainment with them, so she couldn't even borrow something off of Ryo or Jeri.

Rika was in great shape from all her time in the digital world, but that didn't mean never got exhausted—particularly after the better part of a full-night's walk. Her silent rule, however, was that she'd never be the first one to _say_ it. Kazu or Jeri were usually the first to admit they were getting too far out of their comfort zone, but there seemed to be a system to it—when Kazu was visibly uncomfortable, Jeri would suggest stopping, and when Jeri was, Takato would. At least, that was how Rika noticed it.

She heard the sound of dirt being kicked loudly from behind her, and turned to see that Giz had stumbled and fallen to all fours, before clumsily climbing back to his feet. As Rika stared at him, she noticed just how exhausted he looked. Even as he stood still, she noticed a slight wavering in his legs.

_Poor thing must be tired as hell._

"You okay?" Ryo was the first to ask.

The Gazimon nodded embarrassedly.

"Yeah, sorry." He scratched his left arm with his right. "It's just been a while since I've done this much travelling."

Rika smiled inwardly. Gazimon really was a good partner for Will. They were similar in many ways, even in their inexperience but persistence to keep trying.

"Come on." Rika said, turning to face him, and taking a few steps forward.

When she was right next to him she turned away again and crouched down a bit. "I'll piggy-back you."

If he could have blushed through his fur, Rika was sure he would have, and the guy looked downright embarrassed. "N—no, I couldn't possibly—"

"You can't be much heavier than my backpack was." Rika taunted.

The little digimon looked to the others for some kind of support. Rika hadn't spent much time with Giz, since he was usually off with Will or Ryo, but it had been Rika that found him in that cave, broken and unconscious.

"Go for it, buddy." Ryo smirked. "She's probably not going to offer to carry any of the rest of us."

"Got that right, Akiyama." Rika fired back with a fake politeness.

It took a few seconds for Giz to actually agree, and after a few seconds of confusion, Rika was carrying him, his arms draped over her shoulders, while she supported his weight with her back and arms. He really _didn't_ weigh much more than Rika's backpack did, she didn't find it particularly tiring.

Within a few minutes he was snoring gently against the back of her shoulder, something Ryo shot her a grin at.

Even though she was tired and sore, she found it motivating—she felt like she was actually _accomplishing_ something rather than '_just_' walking. His fur tickled a little against the back of her neck. She expected it felt like it would if she were carrying around a stuffed animal.

At least a full hour passed in silence.

"Do you guys hear something?" Jeri asked suddenly stopping in her tracks, the first words spoken in what seemed like ages.

"Hmm?" Ryo murmured curiously.

"It sounds like someone's playing music."

_I wish._

Rika raised an eyebrow. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

_Hey—Digital World. Stranger things, right?_

She eyed her friend curiously, who was looking around in all directions, trying to identify the source of something that Rika didn't even know existed. She felt Giz stir against her back, who patted her shoulder gently as a sign that he wanted to be let down, and she heard him land on his feet, not taking her eyes off of Jeri.

"I can hear it…" Ryo said quietly, eyes closed as if it would help him hear it better.

Rika tried doing the same, but she sure didn't hear anything, and glances at her friends suggested that nobody else did, either—

—_No_—

Kazu might not have noticed what Jeri did, but Ryo must have, because he looked as pale as she did. Jeri, however, had gone from looking nervous to looking absolutely terrified.

"What is…this?" Ryo asked weakly, taking a stumbling step backwards. Kazu quickly maneuvered himself closer to Ryo, as if to catch him should he fall, and Rika followed the lead and moved towards Jeri.

"Guys?" Kazu asked nervously. "What's going on? What are you hearing—"

Rika nearly jumped out of her skin when Ryo suddenly screamed in agony, hands covering his ears and dropping to his knees. She wanted to rush to him, but she knew she couldn't—she had to keep an eye on Jeri…which was fortunate that she didn't move, because Rika barely had time to see the look in Kazu's face before Jeri too started screaming.

Rika mostly managed to catch her—Jeri's head had slammed into Rika's chin when Rika was guiding her to the ground, but nothing more than a would-be bruise. Rika wound up sitting on the ground, arms wrapped around Jeri, who was curled up in front of her—screaming and covering her ears, just like Ryo was.

"Renamon!" Rika called.

Cyberdramon looked around anxiously for an attacker, but didn't growl the way he usually did whenever he sensed trouble. For a moment, Rika was certain that both their partners seemed nervous.

"There's—nothing here…" Renamon replied slowly. "If it's a digimon doing this, it's not close enough for me to sense it."

Which meant it wasn't close at all. No, if it was a digimon, then either Renamon or Cyberdramon would have felt it. It had to be something else…

_Henry?_

"Kazu!" Rika called out desperately. "What's happening to them?"

She didn't know why she bothered asking, because he was just as clueless as she was. And it hurt her. Her best friend, and her boyfriend, physically suffering, when there was nothing she could do about it. What had happened to them? How could she fix it? And…

_Why is it only happening to them…?_

"Rika…" Kazu murmured, barely audible over the screams.

She looked over, sure that she _didn't_ want to see what he had to show, but that she had no choice anyways.

Kazu had turned Ryo to face her, and Rika's stomach twisted further.

Underneath his right eye, there was blood. It was a small amount, but it—

_No, that's not…_

It _looked_ like blood, but it simply wasn't _messy_ enough to be blood—it was a burn. The skin had turned the same color, though…in a pattern. A two-piece jagged line, slightly more obtuse than an 'L', with a small inverted triangle at the base.

She stared at it for several seconds, almost mesmerized—and not realizing that both he and Jeri had stopped moving. She put two fingers to Jeri's neck as Kazu did the same, and was able to find her own breath again when she felt Jeri's pulse. Kazu nodded as well, before laying Ryo down on his side, examining the symbol closer.

As Rika repositioned Jeri, she noticed it—on the back of Jeri's left hand, the same color. Except the pattern was three triangles in a row, the middle one larger, and upside-down.

Had she not lost all feeling by that point, Rika was sure she would have felt even sicker. She held Jeri's hand out for Kazu to see.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

It was.

"Guilmon." Rika confirmed.

It was the pattern that Guilmon used to have on his hands and feet. And the mark on Ryo, she had realized by that point, was the same one Guilmon had under his eyes.

"Guardromon?" Kazu asked, the robot examining Ryo closely enough that if he _did_ wake up, he'd be scared out of his mind.

"It's scaled down to 31.4 percent of its original size, but the ratios and design are the exact same as the design on Guilmon's original face."

The sharp pain Rika's mouth reminded her that she'd been chewing on her lower lip in her anxiety. Another puzzle. Another missing piece. Another—_thing_ hurting her friends…and another connection to Guilmon—to Cronus.

Maybe it was just a passing thought—in fact, Rika was certain it _was_, but she found herself wondering about Cronus. She wanted to believe in him as much as anyone, but it was beginning to be too much. First his transformation, then his behavior, then TK, and Carter, and—

—_And this._

She was tired, frustrated, and still had water in her shoes from landing in the lake when the portal dropped them in the wrong spot, but she was still Rika Nonaka—and therefore, there was no way in hell she'd be overwhelmed by what was happening around her.

_Gotta get them somewhere safe. Back to the real world._

Rika reached for Ryo's backpack, opening it up and pulling out the comm. device.

_No signal. You've_got_to be kidding me._

"Shit." She hissed silently.

"Renamon, think you can carry her?" Kazu asked, obviously knowing the answer already.

Everyone knew she could, but it was certainly just Kazu trying to be polite in asking Renamon to do it—Guardromon had already picked up Ryo.

Rika's left hand was scratching her right arm. She wasn't even itchy. Part of her, obviously, was terrified for the well-being of two people she loved. Part of her was wishing Takato was around to come up with some plan—and part of her was relieved that Takato _wasn't _around to see his partner's former symbols been burned into their friends' skin.

"Where's the nearest city?" Rika asked, putting on Jeri's backpack so that Renamon would be able to carry her more easily. Rika herself had lost her backpack during the transit back to the digital world.

Renamon doubtfully glanced in the direction they'd been walking before everything had happened.

"Thalami would have medical help, but…" Renamon murmured. "It's still several days away even if we kept our stops to a minimum."

_Damn it…_

"There's help about two hours this way." Kazu spoke up, pointing off to the side, almost back towards the way they'd been coming from.

"What?" Rika didn't bother hiding her confusion.

All eyes were on Kazu and Guardromon, and Rika was just as interested in finding out just how the hell he knew what he knew.

"When Guardromon and I were running from Reed's—from Henry's forces…that was near here. We were taken in by someone who lives this way. That's where we stayed."

Rika remembered the time period well—thinking one of her friends was dead wasn't something easily forgotten. She also remembered everyone pestering him for the explanation of how he survived, but that he'd refused to spill the details. Jeri and Ryo were both unconscious, so that left Rika to do all the questioning.

"The guy who told you that Reed has cameras everywhere."

Kazu nodded.

Rika managed to silence the majority of her sigh. The memories that came back to her then were almost overwhelming. The monster—her father stalking and threatening her. Takato's supposed death. Ryo leaving for the States. Henry trying to run off to the digital world. Guilmon coming back as a human. Reed. Sovereign. Destroyer. So much fighting, so many losses, so many secrets…it just made her wonder—

—"How did we get here?"

He looked puzzled.

"A portal." He said cautiously, clearly knowing he didn't understand the question, but answering it anyways in the most simplistic, Kazu-like way.

She was too upset to be frustrated with him.

"It seems like everything that's happened to us this last year could have been avoided." Rika explained quietly, almost forgetting that the digimon were even there. She didn't quite meet Kazu's eye, though she could feel him looking at her. "We just keep lying to each other, then act surprised when it blows up in our faces…and now Takato's… "

Kazu looked at her cautiously. "We're all just doing what we think is right."

"It doesn't show." Rika murmured. She didn't mean to sound aggressive, but the few seconds of silence that followed suggested to her that Kazu probably didn't take it that way.

"…It really does suck how things work out." Kazu admitted finally.

That much they could agree on. It was a refreshingly pessimistic conversation. No—maybe it wasn't so much that Kazu was a pessimist…

_Realist?_

That was it. Rika herself had toned-down her reality-bombshells after spending so much time with her friends, and it was obvious Kazu had changed over the years, but that was one thing that definitely hadn't.

"Honest opinion," Rika began, knowing part of her didn't want the answer she knew she was about to get. "Do you think we'll be able to save Henry?"

His step actually faltered, and Rika once again became painfully aware that Cyberdramon, Renamon, and Guardromon were all staring at her.

"Honestly?" Kazu asked, eyes still wandering not to meet her directly. Rika felt lighter when everyone's gaze lifted from her, turning to him instead. "I think that there's a way to save him, but I don't think we'll find it in time."

As brutally honest as she'd asked for.

"Why's that?" she asked carefully.

He still wouldn't look at her, but only hesitated for a moment before answering—being careful, no doubt. "We're too divided." He admitted flatly. "Takato put this team together because we were supposed to all work together so well…but now he's lost it, and to be honest will _probably_ get killed out there by himself. Ryo's obviously distracted by the fact that both his best friend and his now-amputee brother both hate him. Not only does nobody trust Cronus, but nobody seems to _want_ to trust him, and this—right here—is probably only the third or fourth conversation you and I have had with each other in about a month."

An uncomfortable silence, accompanied by an inescapable guilt. She still stared at him, but he looked away.

They really hadn't spoken with each other in ages. Sure, they exchanged a few words when they were both speaking to someone else, but no real conversation. But the worst part was that she _had_ noticed it. Her lack of conversation with him had really been a choice, albeit a subtle one. But it wasn't for anything Kazu'd said or done, it had been for what _almost_had happened.

When Kazu saved Rika and Ryo outside of Hyperion—when he'd first biomerged, he nearly absorbed the data of the Destroyer's agents, before Ryo stopped him. When they left the data there, Adrie absorbed it. It twisted her mind, and it led to her death. He'd come _so_close to having it happen to him—just like Rika herself had become so shockingly close to having Armageddemon take over her, instead of Henry. Because they'd both survived, someone else's life was ruined. It wasn't exactly something either of them were going to form a support group about, and even if Kazu understood her pain and guilt the way she understood his, neither of them were going to say anything about it. But that wasn't his fault, and he deserved better.

"…I'm sorry." She said sincerely—not loudly, but not as much of an awkward whisper.

Maybe it wasn't loud enough, because he didn't respond. Unfortunately, Rika didn't have the guts to say it again.

* * *

Will decided to take the stairs down to the lower basement levels before he'd go upstairs to meet Mala. They'd tried to open a portal down there when they'd lost track of everyone when they went in, but, like the Tamers themselves, the portal they opened was underwater, so everything was flooded.

His real reason, however, was that he hadn't quite decided how to tell Mala that he'd be going to Odaiba. He knew she wouldn't approve. May not even allow it—she was quickly gaining influence at Hypnos; Will didn't know just how far that influence reached. For all he knew, she may be able to have someone pull his bus over. Stop his train. Lock down the bridge. Not out of malice, but because in addition to guiding the mission, he was her responsibility. He knew he'd be creating a world of trouble for her, but it was something he had to do. She might have understood, she might not have. But Will couldn't take the chance.

As it turned out, Hypnos wasn't _that_ resourceful when it came to dealing with the flooded levels. It had been twelve hours, and as far as Will could tell, they hadn't made much progress. Not that it was a judgment, but the flood _did_ affect him—it meant he'd have to find another portal if he was going to meet up with everyone on schedule.

The elevator came quickly, and he almost wished it hadn't. He wasn't looking forward to seeing Mala—he felt bad about bailing on her after Ryo and Takato's fight. That, and he didn't look forward to the possibility of being forced to talk to Ryo.

"Good morning." He said politely as he stepped into the room and clumsily pulled his backpack off and set it aside.

Mala wasn't actually on the station, which made sense—they didn't need to be watching the team twenty-four-seven—they really just needed to send any valuable information their way, or answer the call if the team needed anything. At the moment, Mala had her back to him, rummaging through some papers on the table.

"Something happened." She said simply.

He got that sinking feeling before she turned to look at him.

"Ryo and Jeri have come down with—something." Mala explained quickly, turning back to the table. Will hurried to her side, glancing at the assortment of information in front of him. "They said they heard something, started screaming, convulsing, and then lost consciousness." She went on.

His heart sank. He was still very angry at Ryo, but...

"Is he—are they okay?"

Mala seemed to shiver a bit, before suddenly looking guilty. "Y—yes, we think so. Physically, they're fine.

He smiled uncomfortably in an attempt to put her at ease.

She indicated a photo of the side of Ryo's face, a strange mark under his eye.

"What is that?" Will asked. "Blood?"

"We wish." Mala murmured. "This one, too."

The next picture was of a hand, Jeri's—he recognized her bracelet—a mark on the back of her hand—different from the one on Ryo's face, but the same color—probably the same substance, and obviously the same cause.

"Almost looks like a tattoo." Will said, dumbfounded. "Do we know what it is?"

Mala sighed. "Lab wasn't able to find anything physically wrong with them. Vitals are strong—it just doesn't make sense."

Will glanced at some of the other pages. Most were images from various angles of the markings, a few were of raw code that Will couldn't make sense of at the moment, but one was of a digimon. A red dinosaur-like one, with identical markings all over his body.

"Looks too cute to cause this kind of trouble." Will said doubtfully.

Mala glanced away before she looked at him, and then the picture. "That's Guilmon."

_Guilmon…heard that before—wait, Cronus?_

"You mean Cronus?" Will blurted, examining the picture closely. Obviously, there was no resemblance.

Mala nodded.

"In his original form, yes."

He just stared at the picture. The Guilmon was just grinning childishly. Whoever that Dr. Valn was—however much of a megalomaniacal bastard he was—he must have been an absolute genius to have written something to transform a digimon like that into a human being. If he was still alive—if he could have been trusted, or if he was remotely sane—then Will suspected he could have saved Henry.

Will turned back to the other pictures, trying to put Cronus out of his mind. "So what are they doing now?"

"Kazu's taking them to the location he hid out at during that week that we all thought he was dead."

_Good idea._

He didn't respond, though, because he kept staring at the symbol under Ryo's eye—that had once been under Cronus's eye.

_No swelling, no discoloring of the surrounding skin…__it _should _be scar tissue, but it's almost as if it's isolated melanogenesis—_

"Like I said before, the labs couldn't find anything wrong with them—everything on Ryo and Jeri read perfectly normal."

"Could it be chemical?" he suggested. "Something affecting them too subtly on the physiological level for the lab to pick up on?"

She shrugged. "Anything affecting the brain or the body should still show up on our readings."

Will felt foolish for asking...Hypnos was the most technologically advanced corporation on the planet, and even _they_ couldn't have noticed anything was wrong with Henry at the biological level.

"What I'm stumped on," Mala began. "is why it's only happening to them."

A beat.

Will had a suspicion, but it wasn't something Mala knew about—at least he thought not. Ryo and Jeri had fallen unconscious before. From what he was able to piece together from what Ryo and Delta had told him, it had been a program created by Reed to try and get them to give up—to remove themselves from the mission, either to protect them, or to protect himself. But if Reed was on their team—and Will believed he was—then it must have been something good—which meant this was something else.

Mala ran a hand through her long, brown hair, letting out a sigh. "The only connection we can come up with between the two of them is Takato. We think it might be some kind of intentional-or-maybe-not revenge by Cronus for turning on him."

Will's confusion grew. "They didn't turn on Cronus…"

"On Takato."

He felt like he was being led in circles. "Excuse me?"

She let go of her hair, and her eyes widened, as she realized Will was out of the loop of whatever the hell she was talking about. "Oh, God…"

Will tried not to look as impatient as he felt, but probably wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"After we left here last night, Takato left everyone." Mala explained. "Statistically it's nothing significant that it was the two of them, but for a world that's supposedly run on logic, there's a hell of a lot of things emotion seems to dictate. Jeri was his girlfriend, and Ryo was his best friend—they were _closer_to Takato than Rika or Kazu are... we know Cronus had a connection with Takato even before he absorbed all that power—if Takato was hurting as much as we know he was, Cronus might have felt it. This could be payback."

"Do you really think he'd do something like that?"

She didn't look up.

* * *

"His name's Max, and he runs a sort of clinic." Kazu explained. "Has a kind of camera system hooked up—similar to Reed's, I guess. Keeps tabs on the surrounding area, brings back the injured."

During the walk, Rika had inquired about the help they were going to take Ryo and Jeri to. It seemed strange to her—a human who actually _lived_in the digital world.

"I've heard of places like that." Gazimon chimed in. "Most of them don't last too long…get destroyed from bringing the wrong digimon home…either something that's gone crazy, or has things chasing it. Not to mention diseases and contagions…"

A valid point. Kazu had mentioned that the guy was about their age, maybe a year or two older…that meant he likely had no formal medical training—although that didn't mean much, given that digimon weren't built the same physically like humans were.

"He's been doing it for a few years, he said." Kazu explained. "A lot of the digimon he's helped over the years have stuck around…help out with chores and stuff like that. Guardromon and I were only there for a few days, and he had us patrolling the area for a while, but it seemed pretty peaceful. As far as I know, the digimon treated there are generally pretty hush-hush about it…don't go off telling everyone where it is, and what goes on there."

Rika personally thought it was a very strange life for someone to live, but she did find it admirable. Still, she wondered how much help Max would really be able to provide from that location—they weren't on the most direct route between Thalami and Hyperion, so it was kind of in the middle of nowhere.

_Still, I'm damn glad he's where he is._

"If this young man keeps watch over this area," Renamon began. "Why has he not sent help to us?"

Rika glanced at Kazu, interested in his response.

"Probably keeping busy with whatever the hell's going on around here." He shrugged.

_Like dead bodies_not _disappearing._

They covered ground quickly. The panic of the current situation was enough of a motivator, and time just flew by when Rika ran scenarios through her head. What it would be like when they finally confronted Henry. It was a lucid daydream to her. Henry managing to go back to normal. Saving both worlds. A happy ending. And even though she knew in the back of her mind that it would never be something so simple—that things would never just '_work themselves out_', she enjoyed thinking of how blissfully uneventful life might be after it was all over.

_Fat chance_.

They walked for ages. Rika continuously shot glances at Ryo, trying to make sense of what had happened. He'd been fine just moments before.

_Music…?_

It didn't make sense, and she was sure she wouldn't arrive at any epiphanies, but there was no harm in thinking about it, especially when the only other productive thing she had the opportunity for was just _walking_.

"No…" Kazu said suddenly, dread in his voice.

Rika looked down into the valley they were approaching. A valley full of trees seemed like a logical location for the kind of place Kazu had described. Easily patrolled from above, cover from all sides. It was well-hidden in the trees—at least it _would_ have been, if it hadn't been completely destroyed.

It must have looked like a log cabin when it had been together, but it was now a pile of burnt and splintered wood.

"Cyberdramon." Rika said flatly, eyes still on the ruin before her. "Let's go."

An affirmative grunt, and Rika was momentarily fascinated that the once-feral digimon was so quick to accept her orders. She jumped onto its back, and felt Kazu's arm around her waist as he too joined her. In any other situations, she would have expected a crude joke.

She wished the situation was light enough for that. But their best hope of helping Ryo and Jeri lay destroyed in front of them. The ride down into the valley was rough. She had no doubt Cyberdramon would keep her and Kazu safe during the trip down, but _comfortable_ was an entirely other concern.

Rika and Kazu both dismounted as they finally approached the remains of the clinic. She tried to figure out what had happened. Most of the wood had been smashed. Some of it had been burned, but she had no idea of how long ago it had happened. Kazu had already rushed into the middle of the mess and started digging through the pile of rubble in front of her, and Rika's heart sank again.

_He's looking for survivors._

Kazu had mentioned there were usually a few dozen patients at any given time—while the mess in front of them was expansive, there were no bodies to be seen. Maybe there _were_ survivors.

Rika too started clearing things away, before Kazu halted her.

"Not there. Over here." He said, indicating the space in front of him.

"Why?" She asked as she clumsily climbed into position.

"There was a basement." Kazu noted. "I'd only seen the inside of it once, when I woke up in it. It's where Max kept the—the unusual patients."

It didn't sound altogether wholesome, but if that's where he'd saved Kazu's life, Rika couldn't argue. As she thought about it, she supposed it made sense…there was no guarantee that any patients Max would have saved wouldn't turn on them—no denying that some things in the digital world were feral.

It was a few moments before Renamon and Guardromon showed up with Ryo and Jeri. They had set them down, with Cyberdramon on guard, before joining in the excavation.

* * *

"This is pointless." Will sighed, dropping the paper he held onto the table.

"Don't mess up the order of those." Mala said blankly, not looking up from her own sheets.

He really wished she had looked, because then she might have realized that in the hours they'd been reading over complete gibberish, the papers had become completely disorganized from the two of them—either from behind tossed aside in frustration, or in excitement of one of the dozen leads they _thought_ they'd made.

It just didn't make sense. Their heart rates, brain activity, the way they were breathing—it wasn't like they were asleep, it's like they were just _laying_ there.

There was _no_ pattern with Ryo and Jeri. At least not that Will could see. When that girl, Adrie, had become infected, Will and Giz hadn't noticed the pattern because he was looking too closely. It wasn't until they took a step back. But even then, they couldn't do anything. They needed—

_Someone with more information_.

Will bit his lip.

"I'm gonna get some air." He lied.

He heard her murmur something inattentively as he scurried out of the room and rushed to the first computer terminal he could find. Within a day of Hypnos first giving him access, he'd set up three fake accounts in their system that couldn't be traced to him. It was something Henry had taught him at school. He'd made a human resources account, to keep tabs on what they knew about his friends. He'd also made an Research and Development account, to track what kind of tech they were working on, in case he needed to implement some of their innovations with his own ideas. And he'd made a full-access account, in case either of the other two were ever locked out.

"It's a big rule of hacking." Henry'd told him. "Always leave yourself a window to sneak back in through."

Not that the school had actually _encouraged_ that kind of thing in a beginner's programming course, but it had quickly become clear that Will wouldn't get anything out of what was officially on the curriculum. And he'd been right.

He needed to trace a phone call. Or a phone number, specifically. It had shown up as an unknown number on his own phone, but Hypnos's resources might be able to find more.

He just wasn't sure how to go about doing that.

_Click_.

He signed into the HR account, and pulled up his own personnel file. Hypnos must have logs of calls their employees make. He quickly found a list of all the calls to his and Ryo's apartment.

_Bingo_.

There it was—and there it went.

It was literally only on the screen for a _fraction_ of a second before it disappeared. He was only able to read a few numbers in the first group, and a small group in another column. The first numbers he saw were the last few digits of the phone number, and the second was the time. It had been that morning, and it was the only call he'd received that day. It _had_ to be Delta. However that precaution had been managed only confirmed it. Anyone not paying much attention wouldn't have noticed it. Most people who _had_ been paying attention probably wouldn't have gotten anything valuable out of it.

But for once, Will had enough information to get something done. He ran a search for the phone number, entering the digits he saw, with a wildcard before.

Too many matches to try cold-calling. He narrowed the results to those registered to someone with the first name 'Davis'.

Three matches.

He smiled, but only for a second. Delta and Reed's operation was way too complex to be tracked so easily. He backed out to the first group of results, then searched for unregistered, pay-and-go phones.

One hit.

He brought up the log, and saw the same time the call had been made to him.

Will grinned to himself as he pulled up the address of where the call had been made from.

An apartment complex in Odaiba.

His grin widened. "Hello, Davis."

* * *

They had been digging for what felt like ages before they found it, and Rika noticed it before anyone else could—a small while pearl-like object. A recording device, just like the one Angemon left for them.

"Renamon." She called, grabbing it. It was her partner that had been able to access the contents of the last message they found. As she picked it up, she noticed that there was a hairline crack stretching down more than half of its circumference. "Is there anything on this?"

Renamon seemed to study it intently before nodding slowly. "It's got a large number of recordings on it. Most of them are damaged, but there's a number of them are from the last two weeks that seem intact."

Rika didn't need to ask; a screen projected itself as Renamon activated it. It was a young man, early twenties, just as Kazu had described. Black hair, brown eyes. Thin, tan. Looking at whatever the recording device itself had been—it was a video log. He looked exhausted.

"Session sixteen." He sighed, picking up the camera and carrying it into another room before setting it down. As he reoriented it, Rika's jaw dropped at the 'patient´ he was dealing with.

"Cronus." Kazu murmured.

He was curled up in a corner, murmuring; but Rika couldn't hear exactly what. He was still wearing the red and black combat get-up he had the last time she'd seen him; but, not surprisingly, the knives had been taken off of him.

"How are you feeling today?" Max asked politely.

Cronus didn't make any eye contact, or even acknowledge that he'd been spoken to. He continued to murmur quietly. This time, Rika was able to pick some of it out.

"No point…they all said they'd protect him, but they left him." Cronus whimpered. "Why did they leave him alone…?"

Max knelt down a few paces away from him. "Leave who?"

Cronus didn't answer, but trailed off, seeming to be listening. When he didn't speak, Max made another attempt.

"You mentioned a name yesterday before you went to sleep." Max began. "Do you remember what you said?"

His expression still vacant, Cronus shook his head.

Max looked at him carefully. "Who is Mimi?"

Cronus's face changed again as he started to cry, rocking back a bit.

"They're going to die…" he sobbed.

"Who is going to die?"

A beat.

"Kazu." Cronus whispered, impossibly loud. "He's going to die here."

Rika's gut twisted as she turned to Kazu, who was still staring at the recording in front of him. His gaze steeled, but he didn't move or show that it had any effect on him otherwise.

"Kazu?" Max perked up. "Kazu Shioda? Is he one of the people you were travelling with?"

Cronus's expression looked more focused, but it wasn't in time with the conversation he was having with Max. Like he was seeing and hearing something else.

"No, Ryo's _already_ dead." Cronus answered.

She didn't _need_ to look at Ryo to know he was alive. She did anyways, of course. Rika knew that Cronus was full of shit. Anyone looking at him could tell he was out of his goddamn mind.

_Who would have thought that draining the world of all its power was a stupid idea?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when there was a crashing noise. Like the video Angemon had left them, it seemed to speak directly _to_ them, rather than the sound coming from one single point. On the video, Max spun around and took a few steps forward, mouth agape in horror and wonder.

"Who are you?" he asked an off-screen figure.

The response was a hissing noise. Rika couldn't tell if it was an attack, or a device or something else, but resulted in a spray of blood and flurry of what Rika could only assume were body parts flying across the screen.

Rika and Kazu both yelped and stepped back. She had to focus to prevent herself from being sick—she would usually close her eyes to calm herself, but she didn't dare look away.

"Well, now." Henry said, slowly stepping towards into the camera's field, hands covered in blood. Rika felt herself losing the battle to control her stomach. Henry had once been one of the only people she could trust. Now, his voice absolutely terrified her. He took an exaggerated step over Max's severed arm. "This is interesting, isn't it?"

Cronus climbed to his feet, his expression as focused as it Rika had ever seen it.

She couldn't see Henry's face, as his back was towards the camera, but she could still hear his voice.

"What's the matter?" He taunted. "Not feeling well after your little energy buffet?"

"No." Cronus said after a pause. He closed his eyes and sighed.

For a moment Rika thought Henry was going to kill him on the spot, but it was Cronus, who moved impossibly quickly, striking Henry in first the face then the chest, sending him flying backwards—but only for a second, because by then Henry was back, charging at Cronus, who's arm instinctively reached for a knife that was no longer there.

"You don't need to die here," Henry said, his hands around Cronus's neck. "Just tell me what I want to know. _Where's Rika_?"

Cronus's hands were on Henry's wrists, and he managed to pull them away from his neck, throwing Henry against the wall that Cronus himself had been sobbing against just moments before. He walked straight up to the camera.

""L-M-L-4-4-5." He said clearly. As he spoke, Henry approached him from behind. "Rika—Kazu—_help_!"

As Henry reached for him, Cronus seemed to begin to glow, before everything went white. The screen snapped shut and reverted to the small sphere, and all that remained was the uncomfortable silence of the realization of what had happened.

"Fuck." Rika finally hissed.

She looked to Kazu, who remained contemplative.

"He addressed us by name." Kazu noted. "He knew _we'd_ be the only ones who'd see this."

Rika nodded slowly. It made sense.

"I guess so." Rika agreed.

Kazu's expression darkened. "And I'm going to die here."

"No, you're not." Rika replied immediately. She wasn't entirely sure what she was basing that on, or even what she was about to say. "Look, I know we haven't been as close as we should have been lately, but Cronus was out of his mind there. If he knew that we'd be the only ones to see that then it's because _he _did this to Ryo and Jeri. _I_ know how you die and it's during a heated argument with me over your shitty taste in music."

Kazu cracked a weak smile before stifling a little laugh.

"Honestly Kazu, don't let it get to you." Rika spoke softer with him than she had in a long while. "Nobody can know what's going to happen, here or anywhere. So we just have to do all we can and hope for the best. Right?"

A smile again, then a nod. "Yeah. Okay."

"Good." Rika agreed. "What's our next move?"

He looked grimly at the rubble they stood on—under which was his friend's eviscerated body. "He kept a serum around here. Basic data, would heal most injuries over time. It either worked or it didn't—has never had any negative effects, so no harm in trying."

She wasn't exactly optimistic, but like he said, it was worth a try.

"What Henry did—" Rika paused at the realization that she'd altogether stopped referring to him as the Destroyer or Armageddemon. "I'm sorry."

Kazu nodded without looking at her, continuing his work. They had both known that Henry had killed since being taken over by that _thing_, but that was the first time they'd seen. Even Adrie, he hadn't killed with his own hands.

"What you said before about us finding a way…" Rika continued. "To save him, I mean; that we'll be too late. I think you're right. And I think we need to accept that."

Kazu finally met her gaze, evidently understanding what she was getting at.

"So the first shot we get," he started.

Rika nodded. "We take."

* * *

"_Everyone has their flaws—their weaknesses. Takato is too driven, Ryo doesn't know how to share his suffering, Kazu can't articulate the way he really feels about—anything. Our flaws are important factors in what makes us who we are, even if they don't define us on their own._

_You, though—you're different. As hot-tempered as we've all seen you, as aggressive, and emotional, and blind as you can be sometimes, you're also the first to overcome it as soon as it's important for you to do so. You are yourself, but whenever the worlds demand it, you adapt, learn, and evolve. When I think of the best that humanity can offer, I think of you._

_But you're still far from perfect. And perfection is what we need. Unfortunately, this time you won't be able to adapt to overcome the coming battles…the bottom line is that you're human. And it will be your humanity, Rika—it will be_ _you_—_that will unleash hell on these two worlds of ours."_

* * *

Review, please!

-N


	28. Database

All the entries are listed at the beginning, with a tag [0XXX]. CTRL+F then enter the tag to skip to that entry.

* * *

_**CONTENTS:**_

Akiyama, Ryo [0AKI]  
Angemon[0GUA]  
Armageddemon [0DES]  
Awakening [0AWA]  
Azulongmon [0AZU]  
Baihumon [0BAI]  
BlueMeramon [0HER]  
Burke, Adriana [0ADR]  
Calumon [0CAL]  
Carter [0CAR]  
Cerberumon [0TEL]  
Connors, Miriam [0MIR]  
Connors, William [0WIL]  
Data Spike [0DTS]  
Data X [0DTX]  
Data Y [0DTY]  
Delta [0DEL]  
Destroyer [0DES]  
Emmerich, Mala [0MAL]  
Fanglongmon [0GUA]  
Galatea [0GAL]  
Gaogamon [0TEL]  
Gazimon [0GIZ]  
Gigadramon [0GIG]  
Giz [0GIZ]  
Grademon [0TEL]  
Guardian [0GUA]  
Guardromon [0GRD]  
Guilmon [0CRO]  
Heralds of the Destroyer [0HER]  
Hyperion [0HYP]  
Hypnos [0HPN]  
Kato, Jeri [0JER]  
Leomon [0LEO]  
Matsuda, Cronus [0CRO]  
Matsuda, Takato [0TAK]  
Max [0MAX]  
Meteormon [0TEL]  
Nonaka, Jiro 'Joseph' [0NON]  
Nonaka, Rika [0RIK]  
Nonaka, Rumiko [0RUM]  
Noria [0NOR]  
Ootori, Riley [0RIL]  
Red-Robed Creature [0RRC]  
Reed [0REE]  
Renamon [0REN]  
Sarian [0SAR]  
Shioda, Aya [0AYA]  
Shioda, Kazu [0KAZ]  
Telesto, The Circle Of [0TEL]  
Thalami [0THA]  
Valn, Alexander [0VAL]  
Wisemon [0TEL]  
Wong, Henry [0HEN]  
Wong, Janyu [0JAN]  
Yamaki, Mitsuo [0YAM]  
Zhuqiaomon [0ZHU]

* * *

**Akiyama, Ryo**

[0AKI]

_"Take a good look around and remind _  
_yourself everything you're fighting for._  
_Everything we're fighting for. _  
_Everything we know is on the line—everyone we love."_

- Ryo, "The Storm"

Still the legendary Tamer, Ryo Akiyama has had a complex life since the end of the D-Reaper incident. When the infected Dr. Nonaka chased after the Tamers, Ryo contracted the virus himself in his efforts to protect Rika. He was moved to the digital world to treat the wounds, but was extracted by Valn. Valn separated Ryo into two—his real self, and his infected self. The infected Ryo was eventually killed by Rika in the underground complex. When the complex itself began to collapse, and Takato stayed behind to allow Rika and Ryo to escape, Ryo became overwhelmed with grief, having learned of what he almost became—a threat to Rika. Combined with his guilt for Takato's supposed death, he left to America for a few months, where he assumed the identity 'Scott' and lived with his mother, Miriam Connors.

He was surprised to learn that his mother had adopted a child, Will, shortly after she left Japan when Ryo was a child himself. Still, Ryo grew close to Will, who was now 15. When Miriam grew concerned for Ryo's obvious worry about his friends, and Will's own difficulties in school, she suggested that the three of them return to Shinjuku together, and Ryo reluctantly agrees.

Upon his return, Ryo learned that Takato was in fact alive, that Jeri never blamed Ryo, and that Rika was in a relationship with a boy named Adam. Ryo also learned that Adam was one of the boys who robbed Will, briefly hospitalizing him. Though nobody believed him at first, Ryo eventually won his friends back, and even Rika forgave him for leaving after having a talk with Takato.

But just when Ryo's life seemed to be put back together, he returned home one night to find his mother dead, with a message on the answering machine saying that her MRI scans were back, and that her doctor needed to see her. In the last conversation Ryo had with her, she confessed that Will was in fact, Ryo's biological brother, and that the adoption was forged to hide him from Ryo's father. Ryo currently lives with his brother, though Ryo waited three months before confessing the truth of his heritage.

On the recent mission, Ryo was present for the meeting and betrayal at the hands of Reed, extracting what was actually the Destroyer from Rika's body, the recovery of Giz, and several battles. Most notably, he led Hyperion's army against the Destroyer's forces, and assisted Cronus in killing Gigadramon, the Destroyer's most powerful herald.

Ryo was shocked to learn that his memories had been altered, and that there is a period of his past he isn't remembering properly. This was evident from a photo of him before he met the Tamers—who at the time, were searching for Calumon. In the photo, Ryo is standing next to Reed, a few years younger. While Ryo is eager to learn what happened to him, he understands that their real mission matters more.

After the return to the real world, Ryo was offended when Rika told him that she didn't want him going back to the digital world, placing himself at risk. The argument escalated, and Ryo eventually got drunk with Takato, who was in a bad mood himself after Cronus's betrayal. Later on in the evening, he and Rika both apologized to each other, and he finally told her he loved her.

The next day, Ryo revealed to Will the two secrets he'd been hiding—that Will wasn't his adopted brother, but his biological brother, and that Will was a Tamer. When Will responded by saying he hated Ryo, Ryo became overwhelmed with guilt and didn't follow his brother out of the apartment. Will was involved in a car accident shortly after, and his arm had been amputated by the time Ryo had learned what happened.

Upon their return to the digital world, Ryo began to question Takato's decisions as the leader, which led to a violent confrontation where Takato insisted that Will's accident was Ryo's fault. When the rest of the team sided with Ryo, Takato left the group, and Ryo took over as the leader.

Shortly after, he and Jeri fell unconscious, and a mark of an obtuse angle with a triangle at the base appeared on his face, under his right eye.

* * *

**Angemon**

See _Guardian [0GUA]_

* * *

**Armageddemon**

See _Destroyer [0DES]_

* * *

**Awakening****  
**[0AWA]

"_The only one who can save this world__  
__is Cronus. And the only one who can__  
__awaken Cronus is Takato_."  
- Carter, "The Storm"

As of yet it is unspecified what exactly it is, other than it is a process that is expected to happen to Cronus. Only Reed and Carter seem to know what it means for Cronus to awaken, yet both predict it will happen in different ways. Reed believes that it is something Cronus can accomplish on his own, and that his awakening would eliminate the Destroyer and its army. Carter's implication suggests that Cronus's awakening will be an important step in saving both worlds.

* * *

**Azulongmon****  
**[0AZU]

One of the Sovereign, Azulongmon is a blue dragon. He was one of the first two Sovereign to be absorbed by Reed/TK, and did so willingly, in his belief that if one held the data of all the Sovereign, they'd be able to fight the Destroyer. Reed used the abilities he absorbed from Azulongmon almost as much as the abilities he absorbed from Zhuqiaomon. From Azulongmon, Reed was able to use his electrical-based attacks.

After Reed gave up that power, it is assumed that Azulongmon's power returned to the digital world.

* * *

**Baihumon****  
**[0BAI]

One of the Sovereign, Baihumon is a white tiger. He was the third of the four Sovereign to be absorbed by Reed/TK. Unlike Zhuqiaomon and Azulongmon, however, Baihumon did not wish to entrust his power to a human. Reed, having already absorbed two Sovereign, took Baihumon's data by force, while Cronus and Takato watched in shock. Reed didn't demonstrate any abilities he gained from Baihumon, if any.

After Reed gave up that power, it is assumed that Baihumon's power returned to the digital world.

* * *

**BlueMeramon**

See _Heralds of the Destroyer [0HER]_

* * *

**Burke, Adriana****  
**[0ADR]

"_I know what it's like to feel like a weapon.__  
__Weapons are born to fight, and that only__  
__makes them good for killing. But I don't__  
__want to hurt anybody._"  
_- _Adrie, "Born To Fight"

Known as 'Adrie' to her friends, she comes from a wealthy family, and is trained in several martial arts. Her reflexes are impressive, being able to jump into a combat stance immediately after waking up, a feat which impressed Cronus.

She was pulled into the digital world as the barriers between them began to weaken during the battle at Hyperion. However, she entered after the field had cleared of everything except the data of the Destroyer's agents, and was eventually corrupted by it. She began to know things she knew she shouldn't, such as Cronus's real identity and the existence of the Destroyer. Still, she found herself drawn to Cronus, and the feeling was mutual.

When Henry 'activated' the Destroyer's data, Adrie grew feral, nearly killing Rika, Ryo, and Cronus, before being tranquilized by Jeri. She was herself when she woke up, and after sharing a kiss with Cronus, she left to explain to everyone the danger she represented. She revealed that she would eventually be consumed by the Destroyer, and would hurt a lot of people. Acknowledging that there was no other way, she silently waited for Cronus to kill her.

An image of her later appeared briefly to torment Cronus—a result of Henry using the same program that showed Ryo his mother, and Leomon to Jeri.

* * *

**Calumon****  
**[0CAL]

Calumon, also known as "The Catalyst", lived as a normal digimon after his ability to induce evolution was taken away. He was captured by Reed, as the Destroyer sought to return the ability to Calumon, making its army stronger. Calumon was rescued by Kazu, Jeri, and Guardromon. Though his current capabilities are mostly unknown, Giz and Will were able to attach an 'upgrade' into his light, allowing Hyperion's army to hear Rika and Ryo's orders.

Before the discovery that Calumon had been captured, Jeri had wanted to find him to talk to Cronus, who was struggling with defining himself. She reasoned that Calumon would be the best person to talk to him—a unique creature, who still loves life and everyone. Unfortunately, the two didn't talk—when Cronus arrived at the city, he was too distracted by his attempt to get Takato to kill him. After that, Cronus was distraught from Adrie's death.

He was transported to the Hypnos building with the Tamers and their partners when the city was attacked.

* * *

**Carter  
**[0CAR]

"_Someone who, given time, could control__  
__the digital world itself…someone human,__  
__but a _part_ of this world. About five years__  
__ago, there was such a case._"  
Reed, "Truth"

The only human being born in the digital world, the nephew of Reed, a life-form of extraordinary potential, and the biological model that Cronus's human appearance was based off of. Reed has stated that Carter's potential dwarfs the power that Cronus has displayed (which is a considerable amount in itself).

Because he is biologically identical to Cronus, their physical appearance is the same; with blonde hair and brown eyes. Carter himself is a five-and-a-half year old boy, though there, according to Reed, three known manifestations of the boy—the first is the real, physical Carter, who is held captive by the Destroyer. The second is Cronus; and the third is the 'aeon' Carter, who has appeared to every member of the team except Cronus and Takato. When Carter appears as this ghost-like figure, he speaks with a particular kind of insight, and talks unlike any normal child.

The 'aeon' Carter can only manifest when the physical Carter and Cronus are both unconscious—though he appeared for very brief moment when Cronus was being tortured.

Reed has described the boy's power as being basically limitless, but as of yet, it is unclear what the Destroyer's plans are for the boy. Reed has also mentioned that unlike everything else in the digital world, Carter's power is linked to his body (as seen with Cronus's own power) as well as his very essence—meaning that if something were to absorb his data, there were be no power obtained from the process.

* * *

**Cerberumon**

See _Telesto [0TEL]_

* * *

**Connors, Miriam****  
**[0MIR]

"_Losing my mom broke my heart. And Will's.__  
__And it felt like mine broke again, seeing him__  
__like that. But you're not her. Our mom would__  
_never_ tell me to give up…this is all in my head,__  
__and it's time for you to _get the hell out _of it_"  
_- _Ryo, "Haunted"

The mother of Ryo and Will, Miriam died shortly after the three of them moved to Shinjuku. In her last conversation with Ryo earlier that day, she confessed to him that Will was indeed her biological son. She kept their connection a secret to hide the boy from Ryo's father, who she feared would seek custody.

Having lived with his father all his life, and since Miriam left when he was very young, Ryo wasn't very close to her until near her unexpected death. Consequently, Ryo typically addressed her by her first name instead of 'mom', except for a few occasions. He moved to America to live with her when he left Shinjuku, feeling guilty for Takato's supposed death and considering himself a danger to Rika.

Miriam later appeared to Ryo as a part of a program designed by Reed to incapacitate Ryo without killing him, to remove him from the battle. Eventually, Ryo saw through the illusion, but was still glad to be able to see his mother's face again, even if it wasn't real.

* * *

**Connors, William****  
**[0WIL]

"_I don't want you to go. I don't__  
__want you to go to that place—I__  
__don't want you to die…I don't want__  
__wanna be left alone._"  
- Will, "Back in Action"

Fifteen-year old Will is Ryo's brother, though until recently, believed to be adopted, like his mother told him. He has the same blue eyes as Ryo, and the same blonde hair as their mother—though Miriam frequently dyed her hair to help keep their relation a secret. Though exceptionally intelligent and resourceful, Will frequently underestimates himself, often dismissing great accomplishments as "no big deal".

He moved to Shinjuku with Miriam because of the difficulties he had at school—not with academics, but with making friends. This is one of the reasons he looked up to Ryo so much, who was kind to him when few others were. With the death of his mother, he considered Ryo his only family left, even though he was still under the impression he was only Ryo's adopted brother. The two moved into an apartment in Shinjuku, and Will began attending the same high school as Ryo and the other Tamers. He was in a programming class that Henry was the student-tutor of.

When Ryo and the others left for the digital world on what eventually became their battle against the Destroyer, Will was worried that he would lose Ryo, too, and admitted that he didn't want him to go. Reluctantly, he accepted Ryo's promise to come back, and spent the next few weeks with Takato's parents, as both Takato and Cronus were on the mission as well.

Becoming frustrated with the lack of contact with Ryo and the others ,Will accessed Hypnos's terminals, breaking through their security—a feat that would impress even Henry—and stabilized the portal in the park, heading off to the digital world in hopes of finding some sign from the Tamers. He arrived at the city of Hyperion, where he was apprehended, and accused of being the Destroyer. The Destroyer's agents within the city spread this belief in their attempts to stop any suspicions about Henry from arising. Will was saved from his execution by Rika and Renamon.

Over the next few days, Will bonded with Rika, who he hadn't spent much time around, given that since Ryo moved back to Shinjuku, he and Rika hadn't been speaking much. Will was hurt when Ryo wasn't glad to see him. Later, Ryo admitted that he was glad to have him around, but that he was worried of the dangers he would be near.

When Will wasn't with Ryo, he spent most of his time helping Wisemon restore old technologies to protect the city, and developing new ones with Giz to help the Tamers. He created an earpiece with a microphone in it for Ryo and Rika to use to communicate with each other and with the army they were leading in the fight against the Destroyer's army. During this battle, Will tended to the wounded digimon alongside Giz and Calumon, using his knowledge of programs with some material Giz provided on digimon's internal systems to know what treatments to administer. He also monitored the battle on a computer, informing Rika and Ryo of the enemy's movements so that they could coordinate their strategies.

He has proven himself to be capable of treating wounds on humans as well, albeit only in the digital world. He and Giz were able to examine Adrie for injuries upon her arrival, and Will cleaned the wound in Reed's chest when he was attacked by the Destroyer.

For the most part, Will has stayed out of the battles themselves. However, when the Destroyer fired an attack at the city of Hyperion, Will tried to activate the shields, but since Cronus had drained the city of its power, the attack impacted and devastated the city, breaking Will's right arm in the process. Shortly after, he was involved in a car accident, and the arm had to be amputated.

Will's partner is Giz, though he only recently learned of it—and hasn't been in contact with Giz since he found out. There was some debate amongst the Tamers as to whether it would be Giz or Wisemon to be Will's partner if he were to ever get a digivice.

When Will recently learned that Ryo was really his brother, he was conflicted. Part of him was happy about it, but he was also horrified to learn that Ryo had kept that from him for months. In a rare demonstration of emotion, Will yelled at Ryo and stormed away, losing his usual composure. He declared to Kazu that he hated Ryo, but after Kazu explained his own problems with his own family, and some encouraging words, Will began to reconsider.

He typically concerns himself with the desires of others, and his own stresses build up while he keeps them to himself. Though he is only two years younger than most of the Tamers, he feels treated as a child because of his relationship with Ryo. While Will sometimes likes this, he also dislikes the idea of people not treating him as an equal. His appreciation for fair treatment was demonstrated when he allowed Kazu to visit him in the hospital, feeling he was the only one who didn't talk down to him.

Though Will is physically weak and typically shy, he has proven to be very resourceful and extremely manipulative when he needed to be, such as conning Riley into disclosing information to him by posing as a helpless child. At one point, Reed and Delta considered enlisting his help in tracking down Carter, but didn't believe he would help them, as Will would consider it betraying his friends.

Since the accident, he had distanced himself from Ryo, and seems to have found a new mentor in Kazu. He has also began to act more and more on his own, taking advantage of Hypnos' resources to resolve his obsession of finding out the truth about Reed, Carter, and Delta.

Will looks up to some of the Tamers as role models—though not Ryo since he learned of his lineage. Most notably, Will looks up to Cronus, who alongside Takato and Ryo, saved Will from an assault his first afternoon in Shinjuku. When Cronus was later believed to be the Destroyer by many of the Tamers, Will was one of the few who never believed it.

Whether or not his relationship with his brother can be repaired is yet to be discovered.

* * *

**Data Spike****  
**[0DTS]

A tool developed at Hypnos, the data spikes were a key part of the Tamer's original mission. They are just under a foot long, clear, and approximately an inch in diameter at one end, gradually shortening into a point at the other. The data contained in it was meant to repair and corrupt data, which the Tamers had been tracking. The purpose of the spike was to provide a medium where the data could be self-executing, meaning the Tamers simply had to 'plug' the spike in.

They were used alongside a device also received from Hypnos, which was used as a method of locating the 'disturbances' at which a data spike could be used.

After learning of the more immediate threat of the Destroyer, the Tamers have mostly abandoned the original mission involving the data spikes.

* * *

**Data X****  
**[0DTX]

The data from the Destroyer that Rika came into contact with, and unintentionally absorbed. It was named by Reed, presumably after the second X chromosome present in Rika. Without Ryo and Cronus's intervention, Data X would have consumed Rika the same way that Data Y consumed Henry.

* * *

**Data Y****  
**[0DTY]

The data from the Destroyer that Henry came into contact with, and unintentionally absorbed. Named by Will, after the Y chromosome present in Henry. While Data X was successfully halted due to the efforts of Reed, Ryo, and Cronus, Data Y continued Henry's corruption, unbeknownst to the Tamers.

* * *

**Delta****  
**[0DEL]

"_If they're willing to work with us, I can__  
__walk them through the process, and__  
__we can have the shields up__  
__in just a few hours._"  
- Delta, "Truth"

The codename used for Reed's contact in the real world, and one of the few people he trusts entirely. Fairly knowledgeable with computers and programming, but not at the same level as Will or Henry.

While Reed was working in the digital world, Delta was carrying out missions in the real world, including investigating Hypnos, and breaking into the Wong residence.

His computer system was eventually hacked by Henry, who used the channel to determine Reed had betrayed him.

His real-life identity was eventually discovered by Will, who determined his name to be Davis.

* * *

**Destroyer**

[0DES]

"_I'll belong to it. The Destroyer. I'll fight you__  
__for it…I'll kill you for it…I'll find others to__  
__serve it…I'll raise a new army—and this__  
__will keep happening, again and again_."  
- Adrie, "Born to Fight"

The Destroyer, also known as Armageddemon, 'Ged', or recently, Henry, is an ancient evil once sealed away by the Guardian, Fanglongmon. Its goal is to destroy the barriers between both worlds, merging the digital and real worlds. If this were to happen, a massive electromagnetic pulse would cover the remnants of the real world, taking any electronic defenses or tools offline, and the Destroyer's power would be absolute. In the calculated future that Jeri saw, she described everything as being 'dead' and 'grey'. How it intends to do this is as of yet unclear, though the Tamers suspect that it planned to kill the four Sovereign along with the Guardian.

Its agents were active long before its recent resurrection, and raided Sarian in search of Giz. When Rika and Henry investigated an underground disturbance, they inadvertently released the Destroyer's essence, and were overcome by it. They appeared to their friends as afflicted with illness, and through the efforts of Ryo and Cronus, appeared to be better. The Destroyer, however, remained in both of them_—_part of it in Rika's subconscious, and the rest in Henry's consciousness. Because of this, Henry remained aware of everything the Destroyer does in his body, but is entirely unable to stop it.

Shortly after its reincarnation into Henry's body, the Destroyer allied itself with Reed, who at the time, had a great deal of power himself from absorbing two of the Sovereign, and sought to rescue Carter, who one of the Destroyer's allies had secured. It is unclear at which point the Destroyer learned of Reed's frequent betrayals, but their partnership terminated with a failed attempt on Reed's life. When the Destroyer was confronted by the Tamers, he defeated them all easily, even Cronus, who was the most powerful among them. The Destroyer was temporarily subdued from using the power of Henry's D-Arc, though it is doubtful that the tactic would be reliable if used again.

Being in Henry's body and mind, the Destroyer knows everything he knows_—_including Henry's knowledge of security systems, which he has built around Carter to prevent Reed or codename 'Delta' from tracking. Reed has hypothesized that no digimon, the Destroyer included, would ever actually _kill_ Carter, as he is a sort of Messianic figure to them, and the sudden release of his power could be catestrophic.

Though many of the Destroyer's actions are strategic and planned, such as convincing Hyperion and the Tamers that it was Cronus who the Destroyer inhabited_—_many of its actions are for the amusement of its cruelty, such as the death of Adrie and subsequent taunting of Cronus and Reed.

The Destroyer obviously knows about the existence of the Guardian, who defeated it previously, but it is unlikely it knows that the Guardian has already given its life up.

The army the Destroyer had attack the city of Hyperion was revealed by Gigadramon to have been created by that 'extra something' that creates digimon. The Tamers knew that they were more than just data, and finally learned that the army was created by angry, unsettled or the negative feelings of something during its death in the digital world—the more unsettled the individual, the more agents are spawned to serve the Destroyer.

* * *

**Emmerich, Mala**

"_If there's any chance of bringing them__  
__back, we need to do everything we can._"  
- Mala, "Aftermath"

Mala was a Tamer who lost her partner in the battle against the D-Reaper. That partner, Tigremon, was deleted when it shielded a Sakuyamon that was really Rika's biomerged form. She had a falling out with her mother shortly before that battle, who didn't want Mala going outside.

With no home to go back to, she was approached by a scientist that was Rika's father, Dr. Jiro Nonaka. He enlisted her help in researching the digital world, and she provided as many details as she could about her relationship with her partner. Nonaka's partner, Dr. Alexander Valn, eventually turned their research against Nonaka, mutating him into a monster, and throwing Mala into a portal to the digital world, where she remained trapped for a year.

Though Mala didn't know, the location she arrived at was an experimental region of the digital world, where the digimon had become amnesiac humans, and helpless because of it. She was quickly welcomed for her warm nature and ability to look at things rationally, even though nobody believed her about the existence of the digital world that they were really in.

When Takato and Cronus arrived, she befriended Cronus quickly, and was able to tell that he was different than the other people there. When Takato woke up from his coma, she was friendly to him as well, even sewing him some new clothes. She connected with Henry quickly upon his arrival, and engaged in a relationship with him after they all returned to the real world.

She did not go on the mission to return to the digital world, and was understandably upset after hearing about Henry's fate. She has recently applied for a job as an operator at Hypnos, as Tally has resigned. Though she would be working for Hypnos, she assured Jeri that her loyalties lie with the Tamers, who she considers the best chance of brining Henry back safely.

* * *

**Fanglongmon**

_See Guardian [0GUA]_

* * *

**Galatea****  
**[0GAL]

A city in the digital world, larger than Sarian, but smaller than Hyperion or Thalami. Galatea has a diverse population, though there are more machine types there than anywhere else in the digital world. The city now lies empty after Cronus—and to an extent, Ryo—decided to sacrifice it to save the lives of Rika and Henry.

* * *

**Gaogamon**

See _Telesto [0TEL]_

* * *

**Gazimon**

See _Giz [0GIZ]_

* * *

**Gigadramon**

See _Heralds of the Destroyer [0HER]_

* * *

**Giz****  
**[0GIZ]

"_First human friend I ever had—first__  
__and only, until you guys, I mean."_  
- Giz, "Out of the Shadows"

A Gazimon encountered by Ryo before he met up with the Tamers during their mission to rescue Calumon. Ryo nicknamed him 'Giz' so that he could distinguish him from the other Gazimon. When questioned about why he was nicknamed 'Giz' instead of 'Gaz', he replied by saying that Ryo said 'Gaz' sounded 'too much like gas'. Ryo once helped him out of a bad situation, and as a result, Giz developed a huge network of friends and partners incase Ryo ever needed his help again. Because of these connections he has everywhere, Giz hears about events all over the digital world, making him a valuable source of information.

His partner is Will, though it is unclear how much Giz himself knows. The two worked together frequently to aid the Tamers while they were in battle. They also provided medical assistance to those wounded when the Destroyer's army attacked the city.

Like most digimon, he is fascinated by the idea of the real world, and has only just recently traveled there. Before this, he frequently asked questions to Will about it, prompting Will to draw him some sketches of Shinjuku.

* * *

**Grademon**

See _Telesto [0TEL]_

* * *

**Guardian****  
**[0GUA]

"_The essence of our very history,__  
__The lives of our children, the blood__  
__of our worlds…all of this, I entrust to__  
__you. You are our last and only hope._"  
- Angemon, "The Forgotten Past"

The fifth Sovereign, Fanglongmon, resided in the core of the digital world itself, a place accessible by a lift underneath Hyperion. Documents found by Ryo indicate that the Guardian killed the Destroyer in the past, making the Tamers come to the realization that the Guardian would be their best chance at fighting back against the Destroyer once again. They spent a great deal of time searching for it, before the Circle of Telesto finally revealed that it had been underneath the city the entire time.

When the Tamers finally went to meet the Guardian, they found simply an empty platform with a recording of an Angemon. It explained that the Guardian was long dead—after being reborn into a Patamon that protected a boy named TK, he eventually gave his life to protect many lives. It is unclear what or where this happened.

Having an audience with the Guardian is something that is typically forbidden, and it is clear that the Circle of Telesto had no idea that the leader of the Sovereign was in fact dead. The only one who showed any signs of knowing this was Reed, who was revealed to be Patamon's partner, TK.

All the digimon on the team were distraught to learn of the Guardian's fate, particularly Renamon and Cronus.

* * *

**Guardromon****  
**[0GRD]

"_We made a good team though, right?_"  
- Guardromon, "The Storm"

Kazu's partner, Guardromon, is a robot-type that the team reunited with in the now-ruined city of Galatea.

Guardromon is occasionally able to intercept transmissions to the Destroyer from Reed—though only information Reed _wants_ the Tamers to hear. This gave Kazu and Jeri the location of Calumon, who they later rescued from one of the Destroyer's facilities. On this mission, the four were overwhelmed, and Guardromon and Kazu stayed behind to fight, allowing Jeri and Calumon to escape.

They were defeated by the Destroyer's agents, but were ordered not to be killed, as ordered by Reed. Kazu and Guardromon pretended they _had_ died, and, fearing Reed's wrath, the agents hid their bodies, which were promptly located by Max. About a week later, Kazu and Guardromon travelled to Hyperion to aid Rika and Ryo, and helped turn the battle in their favor. During this battle, Guardromon achieved his mega-level for the first time, biomerging with Kazu to become HiAndromon.

They biomerged once again in the fight against Gigadramon, though HiAndromon's attacks were too slow to hit the opponent. He used an ability called Copy-Paste—which mimics the opponents' attacks—to imitate Gigadramon's Darkside Attack, which fires a series of missiles. Though the Darkside Attack from HiAndromon was powerless against Gigadramon, the true purpose was to provide a distraction for the others.

* * *

**Guilmon**

See _Matsuda, Cronus [0CRO]_

* * *

**Heralds of the Destroyer  
**[0HER]

The Destroyer selected three harbingers to do its bidding while it accumulated power. Reed, BlueMeramon, and Gigadramon were selected during its current resurrection.

BlueMeramon was the first to be eliminated, killed by Reed for threatening Ryo, Rika, and Will. The digimon was smug, and his condescending attitude almost caused Reed to lose his usually-calm demeanor.

Gigadramon was the next, and was defeated with the combined efforts of Kazu, Rika, Ryo, and Cronus, after the first three were isolated from the others due to Henry's manipulations. Reed at one point considered trying to turn Gigadramon against the Destroyer, but decided against it since Gigadramon may have been made from the Destroyer itself. It was considerably stronger than BlueMeramon.

Reed was eventually discovered to be a traitor, and the Destroyer unsuccessfully tried to eliminate him. Though the three harbingers have been displaced, the Destroyer—nearing full power—has no more need for them anyways.

* * *

**Hyperion  
**[0HYP]

The capital of the digital world, Hyperion is considered a wonder of the digital world, as it has the highest population density, and an extremely low rate of fighting. Renamon estimated its population as well above forty thousand, which it was at years before when she last visit it. Many digimon make pilgrimages to see it.

There are four large towers in the corners of the city, and a larger one in the very middle. Each of the Sovereign has their own room in one of the towers, though most spend their time in the center region. The four towers in the corners are Methone, Helene, Janus, and Tethys, and the center tower is Atlas.

It is governed by the Circle of Telesto, who tend to the various needs of their citizens. The citizens are mostly lawful, though often mislead. They were susceptable to the Destroyer's rumors that Will was in fact the Destroyer, demanding his execution. It is currently unknown how even the Circle was convinced of this.

Although typically peaceful, Hyperion also possesses a massive army, though a portion of the city's inhabitants are specifically classified as civilians, who are not effective in combat. The army was used to protect Sarian in its weakened state, and later used to repel the Destroyer's forces under the command of Ryo, Rika, and Will. A significant portion of the army was lost in the battle.

The city also harbors many secrets, such as various technologies that even the Circle does not know how to operate. One notable machine was a type of shield generating device, which was repaired through the collective efforts of Will, Wisemon, Giz, and codename 'Delta'. The biggest secret in the city was what lay beneath it: the Guardian itself.

After Cronus absorbed the Guardian's power—which was a significant source of power for the digital world itself—the city was unable to use its shields, and was left defenseless against the Destroyer's second attack. The current fate of the city is unknown.

* * *

**Hypnos  
**[0HPN]

The Hypnos corporation is headed by its CEO, Mitsuo Yamaki. Though the Tamers are frequently aided by the company, and often help it in return, there are still things that are kept secret from it—specifically, the identity of Cronus being Guilmon. Hypnos provided the Tamers with several tools to aid in their mission, and occasionally feedback through their communications device.

Their security is impressive, both physical and virtual. William Connors is the only one that has successfully bypassed all of their intelligence securities by himself, though codename 'Delta' was able to using an old passcard of Henry's.

The primary contact at Hypnos that the Tamers have when they are in the digital world is the person sitting in as the 'Operator'. The only people the Tamers know how to do this are Yamaki, Riley, and Tally, though Mala has applied for the position upon Tally's departure.

* * *

**Kato, Jeri  
**[0JER]

"…_but there's so much more I need to know…"__  
_- Jeri, "Time Lapse"  
"_Then make sure that you learn it. It's__  
__all up to you now."__  
_- Reed, "Time Lapse"

Jeri's life returned to normal after the defeat of the D-Reaper, and she has since remained in a relationship with Takato. But about a year later, when Takato was enlisted to protect the Tamers from the monster Rika's father had become, she was swept into danger again. With Leomon gone, she had no partner of her own, but was still very important for her emotional support of Takato. She was always the first person he turned to when he was unsure of himself, and respected the fact that he couldn't tell her what exactly he was doing. However, she eventually found herself in the middle of an argument between Yamaki and a friend of one of Dr. Nonaka's victims, and took a bullet in her stomach when she entered the room at the wrong time.

She remained unconscious for several weeks, and woke up to learn that Valn's complex had been destroyed, Takato had been declared dead, Ryo had left the country, and Rika had begun to revert back to her isolated self. She grieved for her loss, but eventually moved on, supporting her friends whenever she could. She was, of course, overjoyed to learn that Takato had survived.

On the most recent mission, Jeri was invited for her approachability and capacity to communicate well with anyone. She soon found herself wondering if she had only been invited along for her relationship with Takato, but found purpose when she used a data-spike in a place that the Hypnos device had read incorrectly. She was forced into a calculation made by the digital world based on the current chain of events, a virtual future where her friends had died, and the Destroyer had merged both worlds. In that future, she met Reed, who gave her the encouragement she needed to make sure it didn't happen. He also gave her coordinates to a location where she could learn something valuable.

This made Jeri the first among the Tamers to suspect that Reed wasn't evil, as he pretended to be. She learned before the others that the voice that had been protecting them was actually Reed, which motivated her even more to find out what was at the coordinates he gave her. She initially kept her experiences of the calculated future a secret, as the Future-Reed had warned her that most of the Tamers were being watched. When she finally arrived at the coordinates, she found a place where Reed had used to live, as well as a small stack of photographs. They featured Reed, Carter, a young brown-haired woman, and Ryo, leading her to be the first to realize that Ryo and Reed had a history together, even if Ryo didn't know about it.

Jeri is renowned for her kindness. Though typically hesitant, she has been appropriately aggressive when she needed to be, such as ordering the death of one of the Destroyer's agents to learn the location of Takato, Henry, and Cronus. Her experiences with the D-Reaper have left her much stronger emotionally than she used to be, which was shown when she quickly saw through the illusion of Leomon, which helped Ryo break free from his own illusion. Though the rest of the Tamers tend to not get along great with each other, Jeri is notable for being on very good terms with all of them.

Because of her close relationships with Takato, Rika, and Kazu, Jeri serves as a confidante to them, learning things about Cronus, Ryo, and Kazu's family from each. It is frequently underestimated just how much Jeri knows about any given situation, a fact that amuses Rika, who always enjoys watching others realize that Jeri indeed knew more than they did on a matter.

After Takato and Ryo had a confrontation over the team's direction as well as Takato's capacity to lead, Jeri reluctantly sided with Ryo, causing Takato to leave the team to pursue Cronus. Shortly after, Jeri and Ryo fell unconscious, and the marks of three triangles in a row, with the middle one inverted, appeared on her left hand.

* * *

**Leomon  
**[0LEO]

"_You can't change the future by living in the past._"  
_- _Jeri, "Haunted"

Jeri's partner, Leomon, was killed in a battle with Beelzemon. This eventually led to Jeri's melding with the D-Reaper, but she eventually accepted his death and returned to her old self.

More recently, Leomon was used in a program created by Reed to remove Jeri from harm's way…the illusion had Leomon professing his love for her before finally asking that she 'go to sleep' until the war was over. Jeri recognized immediately that Leomon would never ask such a thing, and broke free from the trap.

* * *

**Matsuda, Cronus  
**[0CRO]

"_There's something that only you have, that nobody  
else—human or __digital—ever did, and  
__ever will. Do you know what it is? Me."__  
_- Cronus, "Breaking Point"

Named by Mala, Cronus was originally Guilmon, before he was exposed to an experimental area of the digital world that remodeled its inhabitants into human beings. The program that dictates what each human form will look like is selected from a random database of humans. His form was copied from Carter, and his age was copied from his connection to Takato.

The village he lived in with Mala feared him because of his memory loss and ferocity in battle. He initially had no memory of his previous incarnation, but his memory was restored in a confrontation with Takato. Takato had accused Cronus of stealing his D-Arc, while Cronus was absolutely certain it was his own. When Takato tried to grab it from him, the two touched it at the same time, and Cronus was briefly transformed back to Guilmon, and everything came back to him.

After learning that he may never be able to return to his digimon form if he were to enter the real world, he chose to remain with his partner anyways, becoming fully human in the process.

Months later, he assisted Takato and Ryo in scaring away a group of muggers, who were in the process of robbing Will. Because both Cronus and Will learn things unusually quickly, the two became friends easily.

Upon the return to the digital world, Cronus began to struggle with his digital and human sides, his emotions—and his love and devotion to Takato—literally killing him. The process was eventually halted by Reed, and Cronus was able to feel human without becoming weakened.

After the battle at Hyperion, Cronus met Adrie, and was taken with her light spirit and kindness towards him. After the Destroyer corrupted her, he had no choice but to kill her, to save her from a fate much worse. This event had a deep mental impact on Cronus.

Shortly after, Cronus played a major role in defeating Gigadramon alongside Kazu, Rika, and Ryo. Upon learning that Henry had become the Destroyer, he swore to kill him.

Cronus attacked when Henry tried to make his move, but was defeated easily—his first loss in battle. When the Circle finally let the Tamers meet the Guardian, and they learned of its fate, the Tamers and their partners agreed to keep fighting. But Cronus, overwhelmed by his despair, claimed the power of the Guardian for himself, and set off to find the Destroyer and kill it himself.

Though people rarely suspect something is wrong with him, Cronus occasionally behaves childishly, perhaps because he hasn't been human very long, or his personality as Guilmon emerging. He frequently turns to Takato for explanations of things he is unfamiliar with, such as poverty, love, school, and how to eat spaghetti. Although he is technically not as intelligent as Cronus, Cronus is able to process things much quicker from his digital traits. This conflicts with his human traits, however, causing Cronus to be uncertain of which facts to memorize.

He is slightly shorter than Takato or Ryo, though more muscular. While in the real world, he is able to perform well athletically, as well as in fights. In the digital world, he is able to access some of Carter's power, giving him much more enhanced abilities, such as incredible reflexes.

Cronus is entirely devoted to Takato, and much of what he does is because of that unconditional love. Part of this attachment may be due to the bond they shared as Tamer and partner, but a greater deal of it is likely from Cronus being guided by Takato in his life as a human. Cronus frequently feels guilty about the dangers that typically surround him, and regrets that Takato's life may end while trying to help Cronus.

Most recently, his voice has been heard speaking to Takato and Rika after their return to the digital world, as they were drifting in and out of consciousness. When Guilmon's marks mysteriously appeared on Ryo and Jeri, Cronus became the prime suspect, and most of the team assumed it was his way of hurting the two for not siding with Takato.

He also appeared in a video that was recorded shortly after he absorbed Angemon's power. In it, he was visibly unstable, before Henry arrived and the two began to battle. When Cronus got the upper-hand in the fight, he spoke to Rika and Kazu—the only ones who were watching the video—asking for their help, and giving them coordinates.

* * *

**Matsuda, Takato  
**[0TAK]

"_I have faith that you know what__  
__you're doing, Takato. Because__  
__you're you._"  
- Jeri, "What You Have To Do."

The leader of the team, Takato has been at the very center of the Tamers' adventures, before and after the D-Reaper. He secretly worked with Yamaki into learning the truth about Rika's father, as well as several containment missions and a failed attempt that resulted in Ryo's own infection. Though orders from Hypnos were to inject Ryo with an antivirus that would kill him, Takato swore to find another way.

He frequently turned to Jeri for support, and was devestated at the thought of losing her after she was shot. He set off to save Ryo and Rika, and succeeded. He stayed behind to allow them to escape, and found a way to retreat to the digital world, while he was declared dead in the real world.

In the digital world, Takato befriended Mala Emmerich and Cronus, an amnesiac boy he later learned to really be Guilmon. The three were eventually located by Henry Wong, and returned to the real world. Takato's family welcomed Cronus as a new son, and he lived with Takato.

On the most recent mission, Takato chose his initial team as himself, Jeri, Rika, Ryo, Henry, Kazu, and Cronus. He selected them specifically for their strengths, and though he doubted his own usefulness to the team, he was assured by Yamaki that he was a real leader. Takato was hesitant to bring Cronus on the mission, as he did not know what might happen to him if he were to return to the digital world.

Takato and Cronus witnessed as Reed destroyed the third Sovereign, Baihumon, and Takato was severely injured in the battle. He was carried by Cronus to Jeri, Kazu, and Henry, but was eventually captured by the Destroyer's agents. He woke up to find that his injuries were gone, cured by Reed. Unaware that Reed had secretly intended for him to escape, Takato attacked him, beating him senseless, and running off to enter a conflict with Cronus. The two battled each other until Takato realized that Cronus was trying to get Takato to kill him, and Takato promised that they'd make it through everything together. With Jeri's help, the three managed to stop the Destroyer's army before it destroyed Hyperion, Rika, Ryo, Kazu, and Will.

He learned the truth about Henry's connection to the Destroyer after Yamaki questioned him about why Henry wasn't with the group. Takato had had suspicions already because of the absence of Terriermon. Though the Tamers were defeated in the confrontation, Takato was the only one who remained conscious throughout the battle, and saw that Reed was the one who came to their rescue.

After everyone had recovered from their injuries, he participated in the questioning of Reed, and learned the truth about Cronus, Carter, and the Guardian. He was also given Will's D-Arc, which had been hidden by Henry. Takato gave it to Ryo, who kept it hidden from his brother for some time.

Takato was demoralized after learning the truth about the Guardian, and that it wouldn't be able to help them. But he lost all hope when Cronus absorbed its power for himself, and ran off to battle Henry alone. For several days in the real world, he remained quiet and antisocial, before finally going on a drinking binge with Ryo.

When Will had been discovered to be involved in a car accident, Takato was terrified, both for Will and for Ryo. He temporarily left the hospital waiting room to return home to obtain his goggles, which he had described to Will earlier that day as a good luck charm. He replaced the strap to make them last longer, and had Kazu give them to Will as a present, which lifted the boy's spirits considerably.

Takato frequently takes a utilitarianist stand, claiming that the greater good is what matters. However, it is hypocritical of him to believe so, as he so often chooses to protect those close to him over the mission at hand (Jeri during the D-Reaper, Ryo during his infection, Cronus when it was believed he was dangerous).

For years he has been in a serious relationship with Jeri Kato, and his best friend is Ryo Akiyama. Because Ryo and Will live alone, Takato and his family frequently invite the pair over for dinner, and Takato spends a great deal of time there, as does Cronus. Because of this, Takato and Cronus have both become close with Will.

He is conflicted about Cronus's decision to absorb the Guardian's power, and feels betrayed by it. Believing that Cronus won't be able to control that much power, he is determined to find Cronus and save him before he gets himself killed.

When the team disagreed on whether Cronus or Henry were the priority, Takato split from the rest of the group after a violent altercation with Ryo.

Aside from Cronus, Takato is the only member of the team that Carter hasn't appeared to.

* * *

**Max  
**[0MAX]

A teenage boy that rescued Kazu from the Destroyer's agents and directed him to Hyperion to help the other Tamers. Kazu described him as being very bright, though it is unlikely that he is on par with someone like Will.

He also warned Kazu of Reed's surveillance over the Tamers, and implied that he knows Reed personally. He may have been an acquaintance of Reed during the period that Reed was associated with Ryo, meaning Max may know what happened to Ryo during the period of time in which his memories were altered. Because of the surveillance Kazu knew Reed—or perhaps the Destroyer—had, Kazu has kept any details about Max quiet, keeping his location hidden.

When Jeri and Ryo suddenly fell sick, Kazu led the remaining members of the team to the clinic. They find it destroyed, and in the ruins they find a recording device similar to the one Angemon's message was stored on. It documented Max's attempts to help a mentally-unstable Cronus, who had arrived there shortly after absorbing Angemon's power. In it, the team saw the clinic attacked by Henry, who brutally murdered Max.

* * *

**Meteormon**

See _Telesto [0TEL]_

* * *

**Nonaka, Jiro 'Joseph'  
**[0NON]

"_It's hard, yeah. But it makes it easier__  
__that I'm so proud of her, though. If__  
__this project goes through, I'll have done__  
__enough here to quit and finally go see__  
__her—and have her be able to see me._"  
- Dr. Nonaka, "Father"

The father of Rika, he was an old acquaintance of Mitsuo Yamaki and Alexander Valn. While Yamaki left the pair in his work on the Juggernaut Program, Valn and Nonaka continued to research a solution to the digimon 'threat'.

Their solution was a biological weapon—a virus that could give humans the strength to fight back against the digital monsters. After Nonaka's brief association with Mala, Valn turned the research against him, and as his humanity faded away, he hunted his only remaining tie to his past—Rika.

Now a monster, Dr. Nonaka committed various random murders before eventually being pulled back to the digital world, along with Takato and the digimon. Dr. Nonaka, Takato, Guilmon, and several other humans injected with the virus were sent to the same area of the digital world—another experimental region…the digimon had become human, with no memory of their original lives. The humans that had contracted Valn's virus became monsters, terrorizing the village.

Dr. Nonaka was finally killed by Cronus in a battle before he, Takato, Mala, and Henry could escape the digital world. When the Tamers learned of the origin of the Destroyer's army, they realize that Dr. Nonaka's essence—and his regret for not getting to see his daughter again—was responsible for the creation of many of the Destroyer's agents.

* * *

**Nonaka, Rika  
**[0RIK]

"_You really are a selfish bastard,__  
__you know that?_"  
- Rika, "Growing up"

The Digimon Queen has grown considerably since her days before the D-Reaper. She knows that there is strength in teamwork, rather than being alone. Her life became complicated by the appearance of her mutated father, Ryo's eventual infection, restoration, and abandonment. Rika was hurt by this, briefly ending her association with the rest of the Tamers, who she felt were too sympathetic to her.

She had a short relationship with a boy named Adam, which ended when she learned of his involvement in an assault. She and Ryo agreed to be friends after he returned, though they still didn't talk much.

When the mission started, Rika was brought along fer her ferocity in battle, an attribute of hers that hasn't change since the days of the D-Reaper. Since Renamon was the first partner the team met up with, Rika was, for a brief period, the only one who was able to protect the team from the various small encounters the Tamers had during their travels.

Rika was the first Tamer to see Carter, which happened in a dream she had in which (metaphorically) the four Sovereign were killed. She didn't understand what she was seeing until later, when that was revealed to have been part of the Destroyer's plans. This soon led her to the location of Giz, the Gazimon that the Destroyer had been tracking.

After the Tamers split up, Rika and Renamon left for Hyperion, the capital of the digital world. There, she rescued Will, who had been mistaken for the Destroyer after its agents tried to throw the Tamers off of Henry's trail. She bonded with Will after they spent several days in the city, living in comfort. They were soon joined by Ryo, Cyberdramon, and Giz, and after learning of the Destroyer's plans for an attack, Rika assisted Will in several tasks to fortify the city, and in the battle itself, she helped Ryo lead the army.

Shortly after, she befriended Adrie during their brief association, and protected Cronus during the long battle against one of the Destroyer's heralds, Gigadramon.

When Henry was exposed as the Destroyer itself, she was able to convince the Circle of Telesto to allow the Tamers to speak with the Guardian, who was believed to be the only one capable of stopping the Destroyer.

Rika is much more open with her feelings since the days before and during the D-Reaper. She is still a very worthy opponent in battle, and has come to accept that she is stronger working with her friends than fighting independantly of them. Her relationship with Ryo typically goes well, their only major fight being when Rika admitted that she didn't want him to return to the digital world, which was a declaration she eventually retracted.

She gets along particularly well with Jeri and Ryo. After Ryo had moved to the States and Rika began to isolate herself again, Rika barely spoke to Kazu and Takato. Though they are all still friends, they are not as close as they used to be.

Since Rika contains Data X, the name given to the data that contains part of the Destroyer's power, she is the key it needs to trigger the apocalypse. While Henry's Data Y is active in his conscious mind, Rika's Data X is inactive and in her unconscious, and therefore does not affect her at all, consciously or subconsciously. However, it was important that she return to the digital world, as Henry can not reconstruct Data X as long as it exists in the digital world.

When she and Kazu saw the recording of Henry murdering Max to get to Cronus, she was the first person to decide that if she got the chance, she'd kill Henry to stop him from hurting anyone else.

* * *

**Nonaka, Rumiko  
**[0RUM]

Rika often gets along with her mother, though their bond is not as strong as Takato's is to his own parents. One of their biggest fights was when Rumiko blamed Jeri for Rika's being in danger during the D-Reaper. After they'd moved past that, though, Rumiko was supportive of Rika dating, first Adam, then Ryo.

Recently, she offered Rika advice after Rika and Ryo had had a fight.

* * *

**Noria  
**[0NOR]

A digimon who became human as part of Valn's experiment. She resided in the same unknown village as Cronus, Mala, and Takato. She was protective of the village, and in turn, was overtly hostile towards Cronus, who she considered a threat. She exposed Cronus as a monster to the village, and helped imprison him.

After having a change of heart she released him, and was killed by one of the villagers.

* * *

**Ootori, Riley  
**[0RIL]

"_I don't know, I probably shouldn't__  
__be breaking protocol by even talking__  
__to you without one of our original crew__  
__there with you…_"  
- Riley, "The Calm"

The chief Operator at Hypnos, Riley is a temporary contact of the Tamers. She is considerably more sympathetic than any of the other high-ranking executives of the company, a fact that Will exploited to get information from her when he wasn't sure if he could trust her. Aside from Yamaki, she is the only senior-level officer in the company. Though there are still several high-ranked employees, many report directly to her.

She is romantically linked to Yamaki, though since the two are so private about their personal lives, little is known of it by the Tamers or anyone else.

* * *

**Red-Robed Creature  
**[0RRC]

"_Do you really think he'd be safer?__  
__With _you?"  
- Red-Robed Creature, "Freedom To Choose"

A currently unknown entity, the red-robed creature is only roughly three feet tall, with its face covered. It is likely an agent of the Destroyer, as it claimed to have access to Carter's location. The Tamers encountered it when they were first betrayed by Reed, who was attempting to trade them to it for an unknown person, later discovered to be Carter.

* * *

**Reed  
**[0REE]

"_Everything that's happened—everything__  
__that's happening—everything that's _going  
_to happen…It's all connected. Don't__  
__worry. We'll meet again. I'm sure of it._"  
- Reed, "Truth"

A blonde-haired young man in his early twenties that the Tamers met shortly after returning to the digital world. However, his involvement with them was actually _before_ they met him, as he issued a warning to Ryo right after they arrived, which prompted Ryo to dodge an attack.

Reed's plans are hazy, though it is clear that his primary concern is to find and secure his nephew, Carter, at all costs. To do this, he sought to eliminate the Destroyer and obtain its power. He confronted three of the Sovereign—Zhuqiaomon, Azulongmon, and Ebonwumon, and convinced them to surrender their data to him so that he might have the power to fight the Destroyer. The fourth Sovereign, Baihumon, resisted, prompting Reed to take its data by force, while Takato and Cronus watched on.

He pretended to ally himself with the Destroyer, convincing it that he had killed the Sovereign—a task the Destroyer itself wanted to accomplish. Reed became one of the Destroyer's heralds, though Reed himself never lost sight of his real goal—Carter.

Circumstances forced Reed to alter his plans over and over, such as the arrival of the Tamers, the Destroyer's raising of two more heralds—BlueMeramon and Gigadramon—and his learning of how Cronus's power was accessed. He changed his plans to use Cronus's power to help kill the Destroyer. Convinced that Takato was what confined that power, Reed was ready to kill him before he was distracted by the appearance of Carter, and knocked out by Cronus.

Reed had been an acquaintance of Ryo two and a half years back, though Ryo can't remember any specifics since his memory had been altered. It is clear that Reed doesn't want Ryo to learn of their partnership, the exact nature of which is, as of yet, unknown. Reed's partner in the real world goes by the code name 'Delta', and monitors over Reed the same way Reed watches over the Tamers.

Though he has only had a few encounters with the Tamers themselves, he has been involved with nearly every single event that they've been involved in, in one way or another. He protected Ryo underneath Sarian, warned Jeri against using a data-spike in a volatile area, told Ryo and Cronus where to find a cure for Rika and Henry when they became sick, created a program that would shut down the Destroyer's army, provided Cronus with weapons to help his friends, and eventually, revealed that it was Henry who the Destroyer had taken over.

His associations with the Destroyer ended when the Destroyer betrayed him before Reed could betray the Destroyer. Reed was injured in the attack, but managed to get to Hyperion to save the Tamers just in time.

Extremely tactical, Reed has shown a great amount of insights into everyone's actions, exploiting their weaknesses, physical or psychological. He is conflicted with his opinion of Cronus, who looks identical to Carter. Part of Reed wants to accept him for who he is, but the other part of him considers Cronus an insult to the real Carter.

Though he would kill if needed, Reed tries to avoid death by most means. He tried to remove Jeri and Ryo from an upcoming battle by destroying them mentally. Though typically calm, he was outraged to what the Destroyer did to Adrie, which resulted in her death, and let it show.

In a conversation Carter had with Rika, he said that Reed was angry with the digital world for what it did to Reed's partner, and to what it did to Carter. The Tamers learned that Reed's partner was the Guardian that they'd been searching for, and that Reed's real name was TK.

Having absorbed four of the strongest creatures in the digital world, Reed was extremely powerful, able to use all of the Sovereign's abilities flawlessly. However, he gave up this power to save Ryo's life, an action that disturbed his partner, Delta.

Reed's opinion towards Takato is confusing. Reed frequently expresses his hatred of the leader of the Tamers, but just as frequently acts civil or even friendly towards him, a recurrence that at some point convinced Takato that Reed was actually psychotic. Reed has indicated that he used to be a lot like Takato is, optimistic and always trying to do what's right. It's possible that Reed is somewhat jealous that Takato hasn't had to go through the same lengths Reed has to protect his loved ones, but it is evident that as much grief as Reed causes him, he respects Takato.

He is currently believed to be in the digital world, though his exact whereabouts, status, and intentions are all unknown.

* * *

**Renamon  
**[0REN]

"_Alright, Renamon. Party time_."  
- Rika, "Something To Say"

Rika's partner, Renamon is a fierce warrior and a dedicated friend of Rika, however quiet she behaves. She is blunt about how she feels, particularly when she considers Rika at risk. She was upfront about her belief that Cronus was a danger, and openly challenged Ryo's leadership abilities when he was unsure of himself.

On the Tamers' new mission, Renamon reunited with her partner in the city of Sarian, which had recently been attacked. It is unclear what her opinion of Ryo is, and has questioned their relationship to his face. However, when the battle against the Destroyer's army arrived shortly after, she followed Ryo's orders without question. Even though the pair may not always get along, there is an obvious mutual respect between them.

Most recently, Renamon has agreed to take the fifth seat in the Circle of Telesto, as one of the leaders of Hyperion. However, it is currently a mystery if she will be able to fulfill the role, as the fate of Hyperion is still unknown.

* * *

**Sarian  
**[0SAR]

A city built in the treetops of a large forest, Sarian was the first stop on the Tamers' new mission. When they arrived, they learned that it had recently been attacked by agents preparing for the Destroyer's resurrection, by searching for Giz, who would know the location of the Sovereign.

Underneath the city, Ebonwumon was hidden. Reed reported to the Destroyer that he tore the city down to find the Sovereign, but it is more likely he was quiet about the matter, seeing as how even Giz did not hear about the Sovereign's death.

* * *

**Shioda, Aya  
**[0AYA]

"_If you want to come after me, then go for__  
__it. But touch Aya, and I'll kill you where__  
__you stand. Okay?_"  
- Kazu, "Aftermath"

Kazu's fifteen-year old sister, and the only person in his family he truly cares about. She is the middle-child in the family, and while their father, and in turn, their mother openly criticize Kazu, and favor their younger brother, Aya is considered to be neutral territory, though Kazu knows that Aya is old enough to understand the complexity of their family's trouble. He has noted that she remains quiet, though understands how unfairly Kazu is treated.

Because her age is the same as Will's, Kazu is occasionally able to relate to Ryo and his relationship with his brother.

* * *

**Shioda, Kazu  
**[0KAZ]

"_So Jeri, either your boyfriend just thought__  
__he was talking to you, or that was the most__  
__awkward thing I've ever heard. Don't ask._"  
- Kazu, "Aftermath"

Known to be carefree, Kazu hides the truth about his abusive family from his friends, except Jeri, and recently Will. He performs very well academically, a result of his realization that the better the scholarship he receives, the farther away from his parents he can move.

He is protective of his younger sister Aya, but indifferent to their youngest sibling, his brother, Yagi. Kazu knows that Yagi is too young to understand what is happening to their family, but still resents him for his parents favoring him so much that he is developing into a spoiled brat.

Kazu was originally brought along on the mission because of his ability in battle. With Leomon's death and Guilmon's transformation, Kazu, Henry, Rika, and Ryo were the only team members with active partners.

He was with Rika, Ryo, and Cronus when they first met Reed in the digital world, and after a distraction, managed to take a picture of the papers Reed was reading before he noticed them, and therefore gave the team the first warnings of the Destroyer.

During the rescue of Calumon, Kazu and Guardromon stayed behind so that Jeri and Calumon could escape. Realizing that the Destroyer's agents were ordered not to kill him or Guardromon, the two remained motionless until the agents believed they were dead, causing them to panic and hide Guardromon and Kazu. The agents were thinking of what to tell Reed when Kazu and his partner were rescued by Max, who sheltered them until they regained their strength.

It is unknown what exactly happened during this week, except that Kazu learned that Reed was monitoring almost all of the Tamers. Because of this, he avoided saying anything about Max to the other Tamers until he _knew_ that Reed wasn't listening.

When he arrived at Hyperion, he saved Rika and Ryo from some of the Destroyer's army, before Guardromon was struck down. As Guardromon began to fade away, the two found the power to biomerge into HiAndromon, both of them regaining their strength. This turned the battle in the Tamers' favor, and Kazu defeated a significant portion of the Destroyer's army on his own—though he was warned by Ryo not to absorb the data.

After Adrie's death, Kazu was thinking about how close he'd come to sharing her fate—if he _had_ absorbed the army's data, maybe Adrie would have lived, and it would have been Kazu to be killed. Hearing Will blame himself for what happened to her, Kazu assured him that he shouldn't blame himself for what the Destroyer did. Will responded by telling Kazu that "neither should you".

Kazu assisted in the fight against Gigadramon, biomerging to HiAndromon and using his Copy-Paste ability to distract it. After Cronus arrived and took control of the battle, HiAndromon used his strength to throw Justimon and Cronus high enough to get onto the opponent's back, taking the monster apart piece by piece.

Hearing of the Guardian's fate, Kazu wasn't phased, knowing that they had enough allies to at least stand a chance against the Destroyer. In the attack on the city, he required several stitches on his right arm.

When the Tamers were brought back to the real world, Kazu returned to find his family furious with him, and after some cold words, he left to stay with Jeri, who was at the time, the only person who knew the truth about his family. He tried to convince Will to take a break when he was stressing out when he was calling strangers to see if anyone was related to Matthew or Carter Ishida. Kazu was also particularly amused to discover that Ryo and Takato had finished a large bottle of vodka on their own.

He was shocked to learn about Will's accident and the resulting amputation, and was even more surprised to learn that Will was willing to speak only to him, and not any of the other Tamers. Will explained that Kazu was the only one who treated him like an equal, and didn't talk down to him. This parallels Kazu's own experiences, as many look at him as the carefree jokester.

During a video of Max speaking with Cronus, Cronus suggested that Kazu was going to die in the battle against the Destroyer. As Kazu saw this, he became greatly upset before being reassured by Rika.

* * *

**Telesto, The Circle Of  
**[0TEL]

The ruling government in the digital world's capital, the Circle of Telesto is named after one of the moons of Saturn, which was in turn named after a figure in Greek mythology. His reasoning for believing this was that several other structures in the city that share names with figures in Greek mythology are all names given to Saturn's many moons. (Also, Saturn has a connection to the mythological titan Cronus). The Circle of Telesto are representatives of the Sovereign to the city, and have existed before the defeat of the Devas at the hands of the Tamers.

Though the Circle of Telesto is mostly composed of Ultimate-level (except Gaogamon, who was only Champion) they are respected for their ability to govern, and followed willingly by their people.

There are five seats in the Circle, which tend to the various needs their citizens have. However, one seat has been empty for some time—Ryo killed the Gaogamon when it attacked Cronus underneath the treetop city of Sarian. Gaogamon's position was left empty until it was finally offered to Renamon.

Of the members, they are led by Meteormon, a small rock-like digimon. It is suspected that he is more powerful than the average Ultimate-level because of his close association with the Sovereign. Meteormon is most concerned with protecting the city rather than the rest of the digital world, which has put the Tamers at odds with him when they needed Hyperion's army to act. His room is in the city's center tower, Atlas.

Wisemon is another Ultimate-level, and is the member of the Circle that the Tamers see most frequently. He is fascinated by the various human-like technologies around the city that nobody knows how to use, and frequently enlists Will's expertise in learning their purposes. His appearance is very human-like, with a hood over his face that nobody can see past. Because of the great deal of time he spent with Will, some of the Tamers believed that if Will were to get a D-Arc, it would be Wisemon that would be his partner. Wisemon has demonstrated an ability to locate people, particularly Takato and Cronus, by looking into the memories and feelings of Ryo and Jeri, though the process left him very drained. His room is in the tower of Methone.

The sinister-looking Cerberumon obviously resembles the mythological Cerberus, and is appropriately in charge of the city's army alongside Grademon. He cares deeply about the lives of each unit in the army, wishing to avoid the loss of any of them. He was against the decision to give control of the army to Ryo as the Destroyer's army approached. However, at the last minute he decided to join in the battle, helping Ryo and Rika repel the Destroyer's forces. Cerberumon's room is in Tethys.

Grademon is a literal knight in shining armor. He is distrusting of humans, and disagreed with the decision to pull Hyperion's forces out of Sarian to defend their own city. He cares about more than just Hyperion, wanting to keep Sarian and Thalami safe as well, causing him to come into conflict with the Tamers, questioning their true intentions. In the battle, he aided Ryo and Rika, and Ryo briefly mistook him for Justimon, Takato and Guilmon's bio-merged form. His room is atop Janus—and underneath his tower is a series of tunnels that were prepared for evacuating the population if needed.

Since the Circle are thought of as being similar to the Sovereign in some ways, their position is nearly treated as a religious government, regardless of whether or not that was their intention. They were apologetic for the fact that their people were so convinced Will was the Destroyer, and offered him, Rika, and the rest of the Tamers rooms in the towers, where they could stay in luxury.

Though Cerberumon and Grademon were opposed to the idea of rallying Hyperion's forces to go to war, Rika convinced Wisemon and Meteormon to temporarily suspend their authority—an act which could have caused a civil war, but fortunately didn't, as Grademon and Cerberumon realized the threat they faced.

When the team returned to the digital world following the attack on Hyperion, they found a grave, which they exhumed to reveal Wisemon's body, which curiously, hadn't dissolved into data.

* * *

**Thalami  
**[0THA]

A city in the digital world, Thalami is located on a coast. It is larger than Sarian and Galatea, but slightly smaller than Hyperion. Nearly a third of the city has been built on a series of docks and piers, so many buildings are literally over the water.

Jeri and Kazu went near Thalami in their pursuit of Calumon. One of the Destroyer's facilities is located near Thalami.

After Sarian was attacked, Hyperion also sent some of its forces to Thalami, which they feared would also come under attack.

Currently, Kazu, Jeri, Rika, and Ryo are on their way to Thalami to regroup with any survivors of the attack on Hyperion.

* * *

**Valn, Alexander  
**[0VAL]

A scientist and colleague of Yamaki and Rika's father, Valn was dedicated to combat the threat of the digimon. Alongside Dr. Nonaka, he developed a virus which would mutate humans, giving them abilities rivaling those of the digimon. His goal was to clear the digital world of all of the digimon, and turn it into a place humans could inhabit. Since human maladies and injuries are treated more effectively in the digital world.

Another project of his was developing the region of the digital world which would turn digimon into human. This was to be paired with the virus experiment, making the digimon all the easier to exterminate, and was also the cause of Guilmon's change into Cronus. However, the changes were designed to select humans from the real world randomly, and he was unaware of Carter's existence, let alone the power he represents.

Valn was also directly responsible for Mala's being trapped in the digital world. He was eventually killed by the mutated Dr. Nonaka.

* * *

**Wisemon**

See _Telesto [0TEL]_

* * *

**Wong, Henry  
**[0HEN]

"_Things have changed. I'm not__  
__going to hold back anymore._"  
- Henry, "The Storm"

Brave, intelligent, and a master of martial arts, Henry remained a dedicated friend to everyone after the defeat of the D-Reaper. When his father was injured by Dr. Nonaka, and he learned that Takato had information that could have prevented the attack, Henry felt betrayed, though the two have since reconciled.

After Takato's supposed death and the destruction of Valn's laboratory, Henry took a job at Hypnos. He grew more and more stressed, balancing his professional, academic, and personal lives, which finall culminated in his decision to run away to the digital world. He worked long hours in his attempts to open up a portal, and was finally able to succeed when Takato—trapped in the digital world—attempted to do the same. Henry was stunned to learn of Takato's survival, and the two were happy to learn that the other was safe. It was here that Henry met Mala, who he would later pursue a relationship with.

Henry was in disbelief to learn that Guilmon had been transformed into a human boy named Cronus. Henry was equally stunned to learn of Cronus's power. Henry theorized that since the whole village was made of digimon-turned-human, and that since Cronus was the only one who _knew_ of his original form, that he was able to access the power directly from the digital world. This would later be proven to be only half-true. Cronus's power comes from Carter, but Henry was correct about another ability Cronus had for a short period of time. While Cronus was connected to the digital world, he was connected to everything in it, which allowed him to know things he would normally not be able to. Cronus used this to read through the data composing Henry, and learned of all the stress he was facing back in the real world. When Cronus wished that it was better for him, Henry realized that he'd found a new purpose, and that his life was better already.

Back in the real world, Henry dated Mala, while taking an indefinite leave from his work at Hypnos. When school started again that fall, he peer-tutored a programming course, and grew to know Ryo's younger brother, Will, who looked up to Henry. Henry was invited on the mission, and when Takato was questioned why, he cited Henry's ability to work well with a team, his level-headedness, and his brains.

Shortly into the mission, Henry and Rika were investigating an underground disturbance at what was actually a shrine to the Destroyer. They unintentionally released its essence, and Henry absorbed what was later coined Data Y, while Rika absorbed Data X. The data absorbed by Rika was harmless, stored in the unconscious part of her mind. Data Y, however, corrupted Henry's conscious mind, and he became the vessel for the Destroyer.

Henry was contacted by Reed nearly immediately, and enlisted Reed's services. At the time, the Destroyer's power was weak, and Reed was an available, powerful ally for him to have. It is unclear at which point Henry became aware of Reed's treachery. Seeking to use Cronus as a weapon of his own, he sought to isolate Cronus from his friends, and participated in the creation of a rumor which would convince many of the Tamers that it was Cronus that was the Destroyer.

The Destroyer raised two more heralds, Gigadramon and BlueMeramon. Ordering his extraction from the Tamers, he had agents 'kidnap' him, along with Cronus and Takato, while Kazu and Jeri escaped. He ordered his army to attack Hyperion, where the Guardian was housed. After Takato, Jeri, and Cronus activated Reed's program to destroy the army, Henry allowed the Tamers to 'rescue' him, and when questioned why by Reed, Henry explaned that he was closer to what he needed there. Reed assumed Henry meant Cronus, but his real target was Rika, who contained Data X.

Henry attempted to make Adriana Burke into the newest herald, corrupting the data she'd absorbed and turning her into a savage version of herself. When she was killed by Cronus, Henry used a program to make Cronus see her again, taunting him with her death. Shortly after, Henry attempted to make his move—terminating his partnership with Reed, and attacking Rika to get Data X, which would complete the Destroyer's power. He was halted by the Tamers, who had been warned by Cronus—who knew the truth about Henry's corruption. Henry defeated the Tamers easily before being chased away by Reed, who wielded Henry's digivice.

The Tamers haven't seen or heard from him since, though Henry was responsible for sending a powerful attack directly at the city, which has left an unknown impact on Hyperion. They also kept Henry's corruption from Yamaki and the rest of Hypnos, who may order his death, as well as from Henry's family, who they didn't want to worry. They were honest with Mala, however, who is still determined to save him.

Reed has made it clear that although the Destroyer is in control, the real Henry is still in there—able to see everything the Destroyer does in his form, but unable to act.

Most recently, he was seen killing Max and attacking Cronus.

* * *

**Wong, Janyu**

[0JAN]

The father of Henry and former member of the Monster Makers, Janyu played a large role in the defeat of the D-Reaper, supporting the decision to sacrifice the digimon to destroy it. This led to a rift between him and his son, which has since been healed. Janyu was one of the victims of Dr. Nonaka early in his mutation, who demanded to know the identity of the Tamers.

It was later revealed that Takato had agreed to let Yamaki use Janyu as bait to locate Dr. Nonaka, which led to a rift in Takato and Henry's friendship.

* * *

**Yamaki, Mitsuo  
**[0YAM]

"_Any idea what we tell them?_"  
- Takato, "Back in Action"  
"You're_ the people-person._"  
- Yamaki, "Back in Action"

The Chief Executive Officer of Hypnos recognizes that the Tamers are the most knowledgeable resources when it comes to the digital world, and knows to enlist their help when trouble is expected. He enlsited Takato's help in tracking the mutated Dr. Nonaka, a fact that Takato was forced to keep secret from the rest of the Tamers.

Yamaki is a former colleague of Alexander Valn and Jiro Nonaka, while the three works on ways to fight the digimon when they were still considered a threat. While Valn and Nonaka pursued the virus, Yamaki turned to the Juggernaut project.

While Yamaki is an ally of the Tamers, their goals are not always one and the same. He ordered Takato to kill Ryo he became infected with Valn's virus, which Takato refused to do. As Takato has noted, Yamaki is a scientist, and therefore, the transformation of Guilmon into Cronus/Carter has been kept hidden from him, as has Henry's possession by the Destroyer.

He has frequently expressed to Takato his belief that Takato is the only real leader on the team. He put Takato in charge of the recent mission, allowing him to assemble his own team, though Yamaki still needed to document his reasons for bringing each person along.

Most recently, he had left Mala in charge of overseeing the operation, and has temporarily left Shinjuku to seek out more funding for the operation.

* * *

**Zhuqiaomon  
**[0ZHU]

One of the Sovereign, Zhuqiaomon is a fiery bird. Realizing the threat of the Destroyer, he was among the first to entrust his power to Reed/TK, who pretended to have murdered Zhuqiaomon for it to continue his appearances. Having absorbed Zhuqiaomon gave Reed the ability to use his fiery attacks, which Reed used as red arcs of flames from his hands.

After Reed gave up that power, it is assumed that Zhuqiaomon's power returned to the digital world.

* * *

-N


	29. Face To Face

tSorry, didn't think anyone wanted the Database, so I took it down…but it's back up now, with a better layout that supports quick searches, and it's been updated to include everything significant from Crescendo/Atlas Chapters 1 to Code Carter Chapter 27 (63 chapters o' stuff, I think?)

Anyways, in this one the story in the digital world is pretty much at a standstill, but some big developments going on in the real world—got some face-time with some of the digidestined. Wooh!

-N

* * *

"Goddamn it." Kazu grumbled to himself, again.

The team was in a very bad place. Takato had taken off on his own. Cronus was crazy and was too powerful for his own, or anyone's good. Henry was out for blood. And most recently, Ryo and Jeri had come down with a bad case of Weird-Shit-Happening—WSH—at least, that's what Kazu had so affectionately named it.

They'd said they'd heard music. Kazu sure hadn't heard anything—and just as well, because seconds later the two of them had started screaming then blacked out. Stranger still, though, was the marks that had appeared on them. Ryo had one under his right eye, and Jeri the back of her left hand. The same marks that Guilmon had in the same places.

_Just _classic_ WSH._

Kazu had attempted to lead them to Max's clinic, where he himself had needed to recover once. But all they found there was the ruins of a recent attack by Henry—and a chilling hint from Cronus that Kazu would die.

He was trying not to let it get to him—in the message, Cronus had spewed pure gibberish. And that Kazu was going to die. There wasn't much reason he should have taken it seriously—Cronus'd also said that Ryo was '_already dead_', and while he wasn't awake, Ryo was very much alive.

They were still at the clinic. Well, just within eyesight of it—they'd backed off and set up camp. It was quiet—a mix of the sullenness of the situation combined with the fact that Jeri wasn't conscious to _start_ everyone talking.

A short while earlier, he and Rika had decided they wouldn't hesitate if they got a chance to take Henry out. It was something he'd considered before—but not something he'd _admit_ he'd considered before. It had started as a passing thought, but he kept coming back to it. It was all so easy for him to picture—the aftermath of what their battle with Henry would be like. Nobody knowing how to act when realizing that they couldn't _restore_ Henry. Kazu taking matters into his own hands.

It had been a relief when Rika had brought it up. Earlier that day, he'd kind of chewed her out about the fact that they were probably the most distant pair in the group. Then just a short while later, she was—as far as Kazu knew—the only one who was on the same page as he was about how to deal with Henry.

_Not the typical company-picnic team-building exercise, but I'll take what I can get._

"We need to make a decision soon." Rika said suddenly from the other side of the campfire.

Kazu cocked an eyebrow. He was curious if she was going to make an effort to hide their plan from the digimon, who were all present.

"About our next move." She quickly reaffirmed, seeming to sense his discomfort about the other topic.

Kazu didn't say anything for a while. Their next move was the more pressing decision, and he'd been avoiding dealing with it because he just didn't know. He stood up, and she did the same. He hadn't actually _planned_ to take a short walk, but he followed Rika's lead.

"We don't know how long Jeri and Ryo'll be out for…" he started, going over the facts.

"So we either bring them with us and move at half-speed…" Rika continued.

"Or one of us goes ahead to warn Thalami, and the other stays with them." Kazu finished with a sigh.

Kazu already figured they'd be splitting up. He _wanted_ to go to Thalami, if only to be _doing_ something. He couldn't handle sitting and waiting and wondering and—

_But you have to. You know that._

"You go." Kazu nodded. "With Kyubimon, you can move faster than anyone else."

It was mostly true; Cyberdramon could probably give Kyubimon a run for her money, but it wouldn't make sense to separate him from Ryo. Guardromon would simply be too slow.

Rika looked worriedly at their unconscious friends before giving a slow nod. "I'll head towards there in the morning—if they're not awake by then."

He silently noted that they were planning on the assumption that Mala and Will wouldn't be able to figure out what was wrong with them. The last time they'd heard from Mala, she'd said that they hadn't made any progress. They didn't have any help, hope, or plan.

_Meh. Never stopped us before._

Kazu saw Rika shiver out of the corner of his eye—it was still mid-afternoon, and it _was_ getting a bit cold. Rika was wearing a plain red tee—well, it would have been plain if it weren't for all the dirt stains. Kazu reached towards his backpack dumped the contents onto the ground in front of him.

Most of the things were still too damp to use, but he decided he might as well start drying them out while he wasn't on the move—they'd set up a fire overnight, so that'd help. In retrospect, he should have brought one of those giant hiking bags. He'd even considered it, but didn't think he'd have been able to cope with carrying it for as long as he'd have needed to—hell, it probably would have weighed him down when they'd arrived underwater. He'd almost drown as it was.

He started sorting the contents. There wasn't a whole lot, but there was enough—a green hoodie, black and red ball cap, card satchel, notebooks, a black t shirt, a pair of camo shorts, a few pairs of socks and underwear, a three-pack of toothbrushes, tube of toothpaste, and a small bag stuffed with a compressed camping blanket. He tossed the bag to Rika, who looked impressed.

"Wow," Rika said with a guilty smile. "You don't mind if I open it?"

He knew she was asking because after it was opened, they might still be able to roll it back up tightly, but it most likely wouldn't fit into the bag again.

_I'm sure Guardromon wouldn't mind wearing it as a cape anyways._

Kazu shrugged. "Good a time as any, right?"

"Thanks." She replied.

He didn't want to seem over-eager to work on their friendship, but he opened the pack of toothbrushes and lobbed one at her, followed by a pair of socks and the hoodie.

"You sure?" Rika cocked an eyebrow.

Kazu nodded. "Yeah, knock yourself out."

Her supplies had been lost on their way back in to the digital world—she'd need _something_ more than what she was wearing.

"Thanks." She repeated.

"Don't worry about it."

Kazu looked over his remaining items, trying to sort out which ones had taken in the most water. The shorts were mostly dry, surprisingly. The t-shirt, socks, and underwear had been in the front or side pouches, and were soaked.

"What's with the notebooks?" Rika asked.

Kazu stared at the books—journals. He'd forgotten all about them. There were five, all with a small monogram in the corner—JK, RA, RN, TM, and KS. He picked up RN and RA, flicking through the pages, which seemed to be dry. He handed them to Rika.

"Will wanted me to pass these out." Kazu explained, before guiltily adding, "Guess I forgot, what with everything that happened since we got back."

Rika looked them over. "Journals?"

Kazu nodded. "He didn't say it out loud, but the vibe I was getting was that we should write down what's going on in case anything happens to us."

Rika glanced at him. "Are you going to?"

His reply was a shrug. "Haven't thought about it."

Journals weren't really his thing—with the crap he went through at home on a regular basis, he generally found himself trying to _forget_ things. Wanting to remember things was a completely alien idea to him.

Rika was digging through Ryo's back before pulling out a pen, which she tossed to Kazu. He fumbled with it before catching it.

"You should."

Kazu smirked, but only for a second.

_I spend most of my time trying _not_ to let people know what I'm thinking…now I'm supposed to write it down?_

He put his book, KS, along with TM, back in his bag.

_Maybe later._

* * *

Will had been stalking Davis for an hour and a half. He'd followed the address he pulled from the Hypnos security system, and found the apartment. He didn't dare go inside, of course—he was just staking it out from the café across the street. He'd waited patiently, watching people enter and leave. Old women. Kids. Families.

The time was passing slowly. He'd finished three cups of coffee, but was hesitant to have more because he was hesitant to leave to use the washroom. Between that and a series of angry messages from Mala, he wasn't in a great mood.

Apparently, word had gotten to Yamaki that Will hadn't been going to any of his counseling sessions after losing his arm. Sure, Will had problems. But he wasn't exactly going to spill

them all to some stranger whose job was to take notes on him. If she sympathized with him, she certainly didn't show it. She just reiterated how important it was for him to go—not because she thought he _needed_ to, but because if the shrink didn't report that Will seemed mentally-stable, his clearance was to be pulled.

It was probably the most degrading thing he could have been told.

So, Mala'd told him she'd managed to arrange a session with a grief counselor immediately—she wasn't thrilled to hear that he had gone to Odaiba. He had to talk her out of sending someone to pick him up—he'd insisted he was following a lead, and that she'd have to trust him that it was their best shot at finding out what had happened to Ryo and Jeri. It probably didn't bode well for Will's apparent sanity, but if his lead on Davis worked out, then he wouldn't entirely _need_ official access to Hypnos. He still had his fake accounts if he needed their resources, and Will was assuming Davis had a method of entering the digital world if Reed was working with him.

Mala finally relented, compromising by telling him she wouldn't send anyone after him if he agreed to go see a psychiatrist while he was on the island. When he agreed, she said she'd send the address once she found someone who'd see him on short notice.

He hadn't decided if he'd actually go—everything depended on how his meeting with Davis would go.

Will had no idea what Davis actually looked like; all he had to go on was his voice and a rough assumption about his age.

_Maybe that's enough._

He focused on the man who was leaving the apartment. Will was taking a shot in the dark, but he quickly punched the cell phone's number into the nearby payphone—the man reached into his pocket and stared at his phone before dismissing the call

_Bingo._

He was about Reed's age, which was to be expected. But while Reed was slim, Davis had a lot more muscle on him. He was about a foot and a half taller than Will, which seemed amplified by the fact that Will was so small in frame. He had brown hair cut shorter than Ryo's, but worn messy like Takato's. In fact, Will couldn't tell if the messy look was intentional—as his own was, or if he simply hadn't slept—Will could safely assume that with whatever Davis's involvement or knowledge of what was happening was, insomnia was a probable side-effect.

He was dressed smartly, or at least classier than Will would have expected from someone whose main hobby was providing combat support to a dimension-hopping babysitter. He wore leather shoes, black jeans, with a white fitted button-up shirt, sunglasses hanging from the top. If Will didn't know better, he might have assumed he was a pseudo-celebrity, trying to get noticed for _not_ trying to be noticed. Will himself was wearing a very similar shirt, but he only chose it because it was very thin, making it easier to tie the sleeve off of with one hand.

_Oh damn it…_

Davis was heading to the café. Will quickly turned his back to him, trying to busy himself on his phone. He probably looked more suspicious than he would have doing—well, _anything_, but being incognito really wasn't his specialty.

He watched as Davis stood in line patiently, before taking a seat at a table in the corner and begin to do something in his PDA. Will abandoned his own table, finally summoning up the courage to confront him. He took a seat across from Davis.

"Hello." Will said, silently wishing he'd rehearsed something beforehand.

Davis hadn't seemed to notice that Will had even sat down, as he made no acknowledgement of his presence until Will said something. Brown eyes stared back at him for a moment before Davis replied.

"…Will?"

He looked—kinder than Will would have expected. On the phone he'd sounded so tactical and authoritative—maybe it had just been a character. When Will had met Reed, it had made him uneasy. Will hadn't noticed it immediately, but there had been something that Reed and Takato had had in common—they were so adamant in their goals; they wouldn't change course no matter what. Will could tell right away that Davis was a lot more like Will was. There was an uneasiness he could sense and relate to; a tiredness. Like the mission he was on was something he had been swept up in, not something he chose to undertake.

"It's good to finally meet you." Will said.

"You too." Davis nodded before his attention turned to Will's missing arm. He made no effort to hide his stares.

Will shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't sure what he should have said. Some small-talk?

"How did you find me?" Davis asked, looking around suspiciously.

If Will was to be working with him, he had to be honest. "I traced your phone number."

Davis sighed. "Glossing over _how_ you traced my number—does anyone _else_ know where I am? Hypnos, I mean?"

Will shook his head. "No chance."

Davis seemed to relax a bit, taking another sip of his coffee. "So why the visit? We weren't supposed to meet until tomorrow."

Will bit his lip. "My friends are in trouble."

He fumbled with his bag for a moment before he managed to get it off. He reached inside, and produced a file-folder with the Hypnos logo—and a large red '_confidential'_ stamp on it.

Davis flicked through the pictures, while Will brought him up to speed.

"Takato started making some—questionable decisions, and Ryo called him out on it. Takato took off, and Ryo took the lead of the team. A few hours later, him and Jeri both say they hear music—they start screaming, and this stuff starts appearing on them."

He watched as Davis silently examined the marks on Ryo's face and Jeri's hand, before flipping to the picture of Guilmon.

"Oh." Davis murmured.

Will _felt_ like Davis was taking ages to respond, but perhaps things only seemed that way because he was so desperate for answers to what was happening—the mission was effectively on hold until Ryo and Jeri were brought back. Rika and Kazu couldn't move on alone if it meant leaving them behind—and Will still had things he wanted to confront Ryo about.

"Did Cronus do this?" Will finally asked.

Immediately, Davis shook his head. "No. I think it was Carter."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think that?"

Davis carefully replaced all the pictures before closing the folder and sliding it back across the table to Will, who didn't break eye contact. Davis didn't answer, but countered Will's own question.

"Why do you think it was Cronus?"

Will hadn't been expecting it, and was at a loss for words. He believed in Cronus more than most of the others, but what had happened to Jeri and Ryo was a bit much—too much to believe he wasn't involved, intentionally or not. _His_ symbols appearing on the two people that he might have perceived as betraying _his_ partner—it might have been too obvious. So Will attempted to turn the tables on Davis, hoping he'd arrive at the same conclusion on his own.

"The digital world is messed up right now. More than usual, I mean." Will started. "Do you know what happened at Hyperion?"

Davis suddenly looked around uncomfortably, as if someone might be listening in.

"We should talk about this somewhere else."

_Probably a good idea_.

Davis finished his coffee quickly as he stood up, beckoning Will to follow him. Will's own judgment lately had been as questionable as Takato's, but he still felt like he could trust Davis—someone he knew almost nothing about.

"So, uh, what's the plan then?" Will finally asked. It dawned on him how fortunate he was that nobody was visibly paying attention to the two of them. The situation looked particularly incriminating.

_Hello, strange man I've never actually met before. Let's go into your car._

"Let's go."

Davis's car was parked in the apartment's underground lot, and Will hopped into the passenger seat. He'd thought he'd have been more anxious about getting into cars after the accident—and admittedly, he'd taken a few buses to get to Davis's apartment, rather than a taxi.

"What do you know about what happened at Hyperion?" Will repeated once Davis sat down.

"The Destroyer attacked it." Davis murmured. "And we didn't have the shields restored properly."

Will's mouth ran dry as he realized that Davis was even farther out of the loop than Will was.

_He might know more about what happened back _then_, but he doesn't know what's happening _now_…_

"We _did_ restore the shields." Will explained quickly. They had—it had taken hours, but under Davis's—under _Delta's_ guidance, he'd been able to restore the city's defenses with the help of Wisemon and Giz. "Then we went to meet the Guardian—"

"—Angemon." Davis said quietly.

Will nodded. Of course Davis knew. Him and Reed both. That's why they _let_ the Tamers spend so much time pursuing the Guardian that didn't exist anymore—because it kept them out of their way.

"Yeah." Will confirmed. "But Cronus claimed the Guardian's power and ran off to fight Henry. The city—maybe even the whole digital _world _was powered by the Guardian. The city had no power to defend itself against the Destroyer's attack. _That's_ why everything's in shambles right now. We can barely keep an open communication channel open, our portal generators aren't working the way they ought to, coordinates aren't matching to what we have archived, and _bodies_ aren't disappearing."

The man went silent, looking away as he let everything Will had just told him process. Will could see him making connections, understanding things he hadn't before.

Then, he asked something Will hadn't even thought of.

"Have you heard from Reed?" Davis asked.

Will's stomach tightened. There he was asking for answers about his own team, and Davis himself had lost contact with TK.

_He's probably worried he's dead._

"He left the city the day before the attack." Was all Will could offer.

Davis just nodded—he obviously already knew that much, but was still worried. With good reason, too—Reed was probably top-ranking on the Destroyer's hit-list, or was at least just behind Cronus on it.

"We'll head to visit a friend of mine. I think I know how to save your friends." Davis was changing the subject, obviously not wanting Will to know how worried he clearly was.

Still, they sat for a moment, Will still trying to sort out exactly what Davis's involvement in everything was. He believed he was a good guy. But if he didn't trust Will, they'd both be at a disadvantage.

"What happened to your arm?" Davis finally asked, pausing before fastening the seatbelt. "Was that from the Destroyer's attack?"

Will glanced over, noticing that the man was actually making eye contact, rather than shuffling around uncomfortably trying '_not to notice_'.

"You know those portals that opened up in Shinjuku a few days ago?" Will started. "One threw the car I was in off the road."

Davis looked pensive for a moment, but said nothing.

"It—It's nothing. I got off easy." Will said, looking away. "The driver was killed...he was nice."

"I'm sorry." Davis said finally.

"Me too." Will nodded before admitting something he hadn't yet. "Just kind of feel like a freak now."

The man cocked an eyebrow, looking at Will as if he were a complete idiot for what he'd just said.

"You suffered a big loss, and are still soldiering on." Davis answered carefully. He had been buckling his seatbelt before asking about Will's arm, and had paused. He let it go back, and reached to pull the sleeve up on his own right arm.

Will's eyes widened at the scars that were exposed, and he couldn't help but stare. They went from Davis's wrist all the way up. Will could tell they were from a burn, but he couldn't tell if they were from fire, chemical, or some kind of digimon's attack. Davis had pulled his sleeve up just past the elbow, but the scars obviously went higher than that.

"That doesn't make you a freak." Davis explained. "It just makes you one of us."

* * *

"Again." Renamon ordered.

Kazu jabbed with left hand, and threw a right cross. Renamon blocked both, unfazed. Rika watched curiously. It was clear that none of them were going to get any sleep—too much going on. Kazu had asked Rika to train with him, but she didn't feel up for it. Renamon must have sensed it, and offered to take Rika's place.

Rika assumed Kazu's pent-up energy was from the fear of his predicted death. She figured it would only be natural for him to want to feel alive.

Renamon wasn't actually fighting back, obviously. She merely held up her paws and was catching his punches. He could never actually hurt her, obviously—but Kazu reasoned that if he trained harder, he'd be faster, and that would carry over if he were to biomerge. Rika was impressed with his veracity, and Renamon seemed to be, too.

She glanced to Guardromon, who was sitting on the ground next to them, observing. Giz was perched on a nearby rock, combing through the pages of a novel—Rika couldn't tell if it was well-worn, or if it was just ruined from being dropped in the water upon their return.

The campfire was burning proudly, with Cyberdramon curled up next to it, Ryo, and Jeri. She heard Renamon call out a different order to Kazu, and smiled inwardly when she heard Renamon admit, "Good."

_I miss my mp3 player. Stupid portal just _had _to open under the stupid water._

Still, Rika found herself interested watching her partner train with Kazu. She herself hadn't trained since before the battle at Hyperion—when Ryo was teaching her. She'd certainly fared well in her fights since then anyways, and she sincerely doubted her abilities have dulled in the short weeks since, but she admitted to herself that she wasn't training as hard as she should have been.

However much Rika had changed over the years, though, her quiet cynicism remained—physical training alone couldn't make much difference in their coming battle with the Destroyer—could it? That wasn't how the digital world worked—no matter how hard Renamon were to train, she'd never be as powerful as she was when she was Kyubimon. Or Taomon. Or Sakuyamon. They were each on their own whole_ levels_ of power.

_And Henry? What level is he on?_

Still, she supposed the training had helped during the Hyperion battle…against the dozens of thousands of the Destroyer's agents.

She picked herself up and sat next to Ryo. She looked him over, her vision lingering at Guilmon's mark under his right eye. She smiled grimly.

_You always said you wanted a tattoo. I'm assuming this isn't what you had in mind, though._

In her hand, she stared at the pearl-like recording device that contained Max's sessions with Cronus, as well as Cronus's message. Part of her wanted to watch it again, but she didn't dare, after how upset Kazu had been when they'd first seen it.

On her first viewing, though, she'd already memorized what she thought was the most important part. Cronus had looked straight at the camera, and said, _'L-M-L-4-4-5'_, before asking specifically for Rika and Kazu to help.

Everything he'd said before had been pure nonsense from a broken mind, but when he'd said that, it was with clarity. He knew. And Rika knew, too—maybe it was that she had enough of the Destroyer's data contained within her that she was able to know…or maybe it was something Cronus had warped her into believing—or maybe it was a leap of faith.

But she knew. L-M-L-4-4-5—they were coordinates. Of where they'd find Henry—and Cronus. Where the war would end.

* * *

Davis rolled his sleeve back down, buckled the seatbelt, and started the car. He started driving, but Will was still staring at his sleeve, letting Davis's words sink in. He knew it might be a mistake—he'd certainly made them before—but he felt he could trust him.

"Reed..." Will started. "Where is he now?"

"I have no idea." Davis sighed. "I can't get any signals through to the digital world, and my equipment fried itself after the last time I tried."

"So that's why you want access to Hypnos." Will realized. He considered the pros and cons of bringing in Davis. Even though Will trusted him, Mala—and more importantly, Yamaki, probably wouldn't, and they might even limit Will's access for even inquiring.

He turned his thoughts back to what Davis had said a few moments earlier.

_One of us_.

Will had never assumed that he was the only one to have had a loss directly resulting from the digital world, but he did feel a strange sense of relief seeing how comparatively well-adapted Davis was.

"How'd you get your scars?" Will asked.

"There was a fire a few years ago." Davis answered without any hesitation. "Got it trying to shield the kid."

"An attack?"

It had started to dawn on Will just how much _the mission_ had permeated every part of Davis and his friends' lives. He started to wonder if that's what his own life would become—a cog in some plan he may never live to see fulfilled.

"We didn't realize it at the time, but yeah." He confirmed.

_We...?_

"How many of you are there?" Will assumed they couldn't be operating so well with just the two of them. When Davis had talked him through repairing the shields, he was _reciting_ instructions, not actually giving them. They must have had some technical support—_something_.

Davis didn't look over. "There weretwelve of us."

Will shifted uncomfortably. "And now?"

"Four are dead." He sighed. "And another four missing—Reed included, now. So only four of us are alive with a known whereabouts."

Will let it sink in. A dozen of them…all of their lives ruined.

_Is that what's gonna happen to us?_

Will frowned. He'd been right about Davis, then—the man was _tired_. Overwhelmed. Will could relate. He knew the mission was worth fighting, but a part of him wished that someone _else_ would do it other than his friends.

"Who are we going to see?" Will asked, trying unsuccessfully to change the subject.

"Someone who can hopefully help your friends." Davis answered simply, before firing Will a glance. "What did Reed—what did TK tell you about Carter?"

Will actually had to think about what they'd learned from Reed, and what they'd learned on their own.

"Reed's nephew, first human ever born in the digital world. Messiah or monster depending on who you ask. Lots of potential power—" As Will went down the list, it was the last item that sparked Davis's attention.

"He's essentially the digital world's avatar." Davis summarized.

Will paused. He already knew all the pieces, but hadn't reached that conclusion on his own. It was an interesting thought.

"Humans have an enormous amount of latent power in the digital world." Davis went on. "It's all just regulated by the digital world itself when we enter it. But Carter was born _in_ the digital world, and it didn't cap his potential. Cronus is just the wrench in the works—when Guilmon was reshaped into a human, the digital world didn't know what to do with his power. And he's a blind spot."

Again, all things that Will already knew. "What does that have to do with Ryo and Jeri?"

Davis made a turn onto the highway.

"Carter is connected to _everything_ in the digital world, but he's mostly tied to Cronus—Cronus is a part of him." Davis continued. "There's a place in the digital world where all the bad emotions you feel can manifest when they get out of control. I'm hoping that's where Carter is."

Will was puzzled at his choice of words. "'Hoping'?"

Davis nodded, however.

"Because if he's not being scared by things he'd see in the Dark Ocean, then it means something real is happening to him that's making him do this." He explained. "Jeri and Ryo—Guilmon's marks—Carter's crying out through Cronus's memories. Just don't know why."

Will didn't reply, and there were several seconds of silence before he got a text on his phone. It was Mala; she'd send him the address of the psychiatrist he was supposed to see.

_Tomorrow, 9:00am. 142 Ariake St, Office 1D, it's a private psychiatry practice. Ask for Joe Kido._

Davis looked to him. "Anything important?"

"No." Will clicked his phone off. "It's nothing."

* * *

Mala tapped her pencil on the table—the way the room was shaped, the sound seemed amplified. She was on edge. More than usual—because her usual safety network of friends had diminished so much over the last few weeks. She couldn't turn to Henry, or Takato, or even Cronus. She felt almost as she did when she'd been stranded in the digital world—alone. Sure, in each situation she'd actually been surrounded by people, but she also couldn't speak freely about what was going on.

As far as anyone at Hypnos knew, Henry was just missing, and Cronus was just some guy. As many resources as Hypnos had provided, they were just simply not reliable to come down on the team's side when it came to how to deal with them. Not that anybody on the team had openly said _how_ they planned to deal with Henry.

Saving Henry was Mala's top priority—for whatever that was worth. She owed it to him—he'd saved her when she'd been stranded in the digital world for a year. He needed her, and she wasn't going to turn away. Still, she found herself combing through old files for some inspiration, but wound up looking like she was procrastinating. She was, however, able to find a few things that may help the team. Specifically, she found the schematics originally used by Yamaki and the Monster Makers when they made the Ark. She made some notations as possible improvements and emailed a copy to Will.

She was almost certain that Yamaki was going to pull Will off of the project. She could understand why. Will had been acting irrationally, but after everything he'd went through—leaving the States, losing his mother, almost getting killed in the digital world over and over, and then losing his arm…he was holding up better than Mala would have in his position. At least if she emailed him any information, he might still be able to do something with it after his clearance was pulled.

_Okay, think here._

As if she hadn't been doing that for days.

The Destroyer was beaten by the Guardian before…but it didn't have a human host then. From what they learned from Reed, the reason that the Destroyer stayed hidden in Henry was because it was vulnerable. It needed Rika—which gave her at least some kind of power over it.

She sat back, going over anything that could have been used as a weapon against the Destroyer. Guns didn't work. So neither would darts, naturally. It would have to be something digital. Or maybe chemical. A virus, maybe?

Mala bit her pencil. It would have to be incredibly complex, a virus that would erase only the Destroyer. It would have to overwrite Henry's mind onto whatever was living in his body—not possible, to erase just the digital part. It could probably be developed if they had a framework for that, but—

She paused.

_Erase just the digital part._

"Oh my God…" she whispered out loud. "I know how to bring him back."

* * *

Davis had driven him to a modest-looking house on the coast. Will still had no idea where they were, or who they were seeing. He'd simply been instructed by Davis not to say anything unless Davis prompted him to—Will was not to respond to anything the person said.

"It's a volatile situation." Davis had explained.

"I'll bet." Will said plainly. He didn't want to be rude and ask what exactly had gone on between them—Davis seemed like a rational-enough guy. Will was confident the situation was more than some high-school bullshit.

Will fumbled with his seatbelt before finally unhitching it, opening his shoulder bag. "Should I bring anything inside?"

Davis shook his head. "Your phone can record voice notes?"

"Yeah." He'd never actually used it—had never needed to.

"That should be enough, then."

Will pulled Takato's goggles from the bag, and started to hang them around his neck as Kazu had suggested.

Davis glanced over and seemed to do a double-take. "What's that?"

"A good luck charm." Will answered. "Takato's goggles."

It was the first time Will had actually seen Davis smile, but he couldn't figure out what exactly he found so amusing. Davis was chuckling to himself for a few seconds before Will had the courage to ask.

"What's so funny?"

"Tell ya later." Davis shook his head still smiling a bit. "Let's go."

They both exited the car and approached the house. There were no lights on that Will could see—then again, it was still bright outside. Lots of cars parked on the street…maybe Davis knew which one belonged to the occupant.

A young woman answered the door. She shorter than Davis, slender, with medium-length brown hair that didn't quite go to her shoulders. And she was beautiful.

Will guessed she was Davis's age—probably not Carter's mom, then. Her eyes were brown, like Davis's, but a lighter shade. Her hair was a lighter shade than his, too, but Will assumed that dye was a possibility given the amount of effort that must have been involved to make her hair sit just the way it did.

_Not related, I don't think…not his girlfriend, the way he said the situation was delicate. Probably just another one of the twelve of them. Well, the _four_ of them._

"Davis?" She seemed surprised to see him.

_Must not talk much._

"Hey." Davis nodded, scratching the back of his head. "How you been?"

She nodded but didn't reply, forcing a weak smile.

"Like the haircut…kinda like the old days…" Davis said—he'd started saying it with a smile, but must have regretted his choice of words halfway through, because his expression changed and he trailed off at the end.

"Is that what you came here to talk about?" she asked, still not acknowledging Will's presence. "the old days?"

Davis didn't confirm it immediately. "Please. It's important."

The woman looked worried, finally glancing away from him to Will. She looked at him nervously, her gaze pausing first at Takato's goggles, and second at his missing arm, before she turned back to Davis.

"Okay. Come inside."

Will looked up to Davis, who seemed to ignore him and follow her through the door. The inside was cluttered and neat all at the same time—things weren't in the most seemingly-conventional spots, but carefully laid out all at once. Will recognized it immediately—it was how his own room looked, how he'd left his workspace at the Hypnos building. In the middle of a project.

"So what's up?" she asked curiously, leaning against the back of the couch, hands behind her back.

"I need your help with something."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "Davis, I can't keep—"

"It's important." He cut her off. "TK might be in trouble."

Her eyes shot open, and she stared at him for a moment, her expression the midpoint of looking hurt and betrayed. "You—you know where he is…?"

"No." Davis shook his head. "And I hope I'm wrong but I need—I need you to trust me."

Eventually, she nodded. "Okay. Fine."

A few seconds later, she turned to Will, and offered her left hand to shake his, which he did. Her grip was warm.

He wondered if she'd made a conscious decision to offer her left, or if she was just left-handed. From what he'd observed over the last several days, was that people instinctively attempted their right first.

"I'm sorry." She said, offering an embarrassed smile. "I'm Ka—"

"He works for Hypnos." Davis cut her off.

Her hold on his hand softened and she let go, looking first at Will in disbelief, then Davis in confusion. "Hypnos? You're hanging out with those people now…?"

Will knew that Hypnos had a strange dichotomy in how people perceived it. Only natural, he supposed, for a company that big.

"His team went missing." Davis said, a half-truth. "TK might be with them."

She looked at Will hopefully. "Do you know where he is?"

Will glanced at Davis for approval, who gave a small nod. "No. B—but I'm looking."

Davis seemed to hesitate. "I need you to record a message to Carter."

In a flash, the woman's expression changed to that of sheer frustration. "_Damn _it Davis!" she protested, hands on her face for a moment. "He's _gone_!"

The brown-haired young man didn't reply—consequently, neither did Will.

"Have you found him?" she asked, suddenly hopeful and doubtful all at once.

"No."

"Do you know where he is?"

"No."

"Have you found any hint that he's even _alive_?"

With every question, her tone became more accusatory—as if it was somehow his fault.

"…No." Davis lied.

_So she doesn't know he's alive in the digital world…why haven't Davis or TK told her?_

"Davis…I loved that kid. And I've cried my share of tears over what happened to him." She said quietly, words aimed like daggers at Davis. It would seem that she wasn't quite done crying, either. "But I'm trying to get on with my life here."

"I know." Davis reassured her. "But I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important. The people Hypnos sent in could die."

She looked at Will again, apparently in disbelief that he was actually working for Hypnos. Will considered going off-script and tell her that he wasn't actually there on '_official business_', but Davis had been certain that he should do all the talking—that the situation was delicate. Perhaps he'd been right.

Davis looked hesitant for a moment, before making one more push. "Ryo's on the team."

Her jaw dropped. "Ryo…?"

_What's going on…?_

Will shouldn't have been as surprised as he was—it made sense. TK knew Ryo '_back then_'…if that woman knew TK too, she might have been around then as well.

_Does Davis know what happened to Ryo or his memory?_

Suddenly, the realization hit Will like a kick in the face. She was the girl in the photograph—the one Jeri had found that first linked Ryo to Reed—to TK.

"We haven't heard from him in years…" she mused. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know." Davis shook his head slowly. "But I really need you to record this message."

Will noted that Davis seemed very particular to avoid the word '_we_'.

"But how could a message to Carter help…?" She sighed, lost. Then, when there was no response, "Let me guess—it's classified?"

Will nodded.

Defeated, she sighed. "Okay. What do you want me to do?"

* * *

Mala had forwarded the schematics down to the lab in the R&D department. Returning to the office, she paced around for what she'd later learn was a half hour. She felt her heart racing—excitement. Pride. Nervousness.

_Complete fucking terror_.

There were pretty much three possible outcomes of her invention after it was finished. It would work, kill her, or turn her into a brand-new kind of data-consuming red blob. But she was fairly certain that wouldn't happen…and at least she'd know as soon as she used it.

She glanced at the clock on the wall.

_5:19_.

It would be night in the digital world. Rika and Kazu were due to check in with her in about ten minutes, as they had been every half hour all day. So far, no change in Ryo and Jeri's condition.

She headed back to the control room and hopped into the chair seconds before their communication came in.

"I'm here, Rika."

"It's Gazimon." The small-digimon's voice came from the other end.

"Oh. Hey, Giz." Mala corrected herself, wondering if the digimon would take offense to her using the nickname despite not knowing him well. "Any change?"

"No, they're still out." He reported bleakly. "Um, I was wondering if I could talk to Will…is he there?

Giz sounded like a small child using a phone. It was cute. Male squinted, however, as she processed his request. "He's in the lab right now." She lied. "But I'll have him get back to you as soon as he's done?" she tried hopefully.

"Okay. Thanks." Giz agreed. "We'll check back in another half hour."

The line went dead, and Mala felt bad about lying. She didn't have much choice though; if Ryo found out that Will had snuck off to Odaiba, she and Will would both be in even more trouble.

_I should have sent someone after him. At least just to keep an eye on him…_

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a beeping, and she nearly attempted to answer on the terminal before realizing it was her cell phone, sitting on the desk, the sound echoing in the spherical control room. It was Will.

"Hey, everything okay?" she answered the phone, worriedly.

"Might be better than okay." Will replied. "I think I have something."

Her heart quickened. "Talk to me."

"I found Carter's family, sort of." Will reported. "They think he's becoming even less stable, that it's him that caused this to happen to Jeri and Ryo—it wasn't Cronus. Cronus just isn't capable of doing something so targeted, even with the Guardian's power. They think that if we can get a message through to Carter—from a familiar voice—that it might calm him down, and undo some of what's happened."

"We don't know where Carter is." Mala's hope began to fade.

"So we need to send this message _everywhere_." He explained. "Hope it reaches him."

Mala scrunched her nose. It was a long shot, but it wasn't like they had any other options. If it was even _possible_.

"How can we broadcast the message?" she asked. "Just crank up the volume?"

They were entering new territory—this wasn't something that had been done before, as far as she knew.

"We'd never get it to reach far enough." Will answered. When he didn't say anything else, it became clear to Mala that he didn't actually know how to send it through.

She cocked an eyebrow, and remained silent for a moment as she got an idea.

_Portals. Lots of portals_.

It could work—but they'd need a _lot_…the digital world was largely unexplored—various analyses of the geographical data the Tamers had obtained on their previous journeys suggested that they'd only been to roughly a quarter of the digital world, with Ryo being estimated to have been to somewhere between a third and a half—but that was on his own, not with any Hypnos equipment that could have harvested any data.

"Can we send the message through portals?" Mala asked.

Will paused on the other end of the line. "That could work… how many do we need?"

Mala punched some variables into a calculator—the range the sound would carry, the estimated unmapped areas of the digital world, the discreet positions the portals would need to open up to minimize anything coming back through to the real world…

_Ugh._

"About 195,000." She winced.

"We can cut that in half if we compress the data." Will added. "Carter and digimon would still be able to interpret it coherently."

_Not much, but it's something, at least._

"If we're going to do this, we're only going to get one shot at it." Mala warned. "This is gonna shut down almost every power grid in Tokyo."

Will seemed to hesitate. He must have known the risks as well as she did—something could slip in from the digital world, or the systems could fry, and they might lose track of the team entirely, or the portal generators could get overloaded and they might be stranded there, or—

—_or maybe we don't have any other options._

"It's your call." Will concluded.

She grimaced. It _was_ her call.

Silently cursing Yamaki for being away—though he'd _insisted_ it was something important, which she believed—she ordered preparations to begin.

* * *

"This is Hypnos," Mala's voice came in through the communicator suddenly. "Please respond."

Kazu cocked an eyebrow, and noticed Rika was doing the same.

"Since when have we been so formal?" Rika asked curiously.

Kazu was closer to the device, so he picked it up. "Agent Awesome reporting." He stated.

Mala's sigh on the other end was the only immediate response. "I've been trying to reach you guys for a half hour. Did you change your frequency?"

Kazu shrugged towards Rika, urging her to speak up if she had any idea what Mala was talking about. She just shook her head, however.

"Don't think so?" Kazu answered.

"Must be the digital world shifting again." Mala murmured, probably more to herself than to Kazu or Rika. "Like how the portal didn't open up where we wanted."

Kazu didn't look forward to even less contact with the real world.

"Anyways, we're about to run an experiment, so if you see or hear anything weird, don't be alarmed." Mala explained.

"Gonna let us in on any more than that?" Kazu asked.

Mala paused. "If it works, I'll let you know…if it doesn't, let's just pretend this never happened."

With that, the channel was closed, and Kazu was left wondering—

"—_What the fuck?_" Rika shouted as the sky became dotted with glowing, humming spheres.

_Portals._

There were dozens—hundreds, even. Kazu knew Mala said not to panic, but it definitely made him uncomfortable. Tearing down the barriers between the worlds—wasn't that was the Destroyer wanted?

But then there was something else; a voice. It was barely a whisper, but it was coming out from _everywhere_—from all the portals, which seemed to be going off in every direction. It was undoubtedly a voice, but Kazu couldn't figure out for the life of him what it was saying—it was so disjointed. Syllables seemed to be intact, but they were either mixed up or playing on top of one another.

"What _is_ it? Rika finally asked.

Giz hushed her quickly.

Kazu tried to listen more attentively, but it was no use—the message was too scrambled to be understood.

_Understood by humans…?_

He noticed that all the digimon seemed to be understanding the message.

But it was Renamon who spoke up. "It's a woman's voice." She said quickly, obviously still listening to the message as it played. "She's saying—"

A long pause, and Kazu fired a glance at Rika as he waited for Renamon, Guardromon, Cyberdramon, or Giz to explain what was going on.

"She's saying that everything's going to be alright." Renamon concluded quietly.

_Kinda going to extremes, isn't she?_

"Mala?" Rika asked.

Renamon shook her head. "She's calling herself 'Aunt Kari'."

Before Kazu had a chance to point out the absurdity of doing something so drastic and terrifying to say that everything would be all right, his heart skipped a beat when he heard Jeri stir behind him.

"She's telling Carter that everyone's coming for him." Renamon continued. "And she's asking that he make Jeri and Ryo better…?"

Kazu was at Jeri's side, holding her hand, when he felt her squeeze.

The portals each closed with a rumbling noise, and in a few seconds, everything was as it was before the message had played.

Jeri's eyelids fluttered, and she sat up.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking around.

Kazu threw his arms around her, laughing, and he could see that Ryo, too, was awake.

"_So_ many things." Kazu answered, still laughing.

He knew it was foolish, being so happy over such a small victory. But it was still a win, however tiny.

_One battle at a time, right?_

Kazu noticed her hand—it still had Guilmon's mark. Jeri noticed it too, staring at it in confusion before looking to Kazu for some kind of explanation. But Kazu was looking at Ryo, who still bore Guilmon's mark under his eye. Jeri too, turned and stared, perplexed.

Ryo, however, obviously had no idea what was going on.

"There something on my face?"

* * *

Mala sighed with relief—things were back on track; the team was ready to move again. Only a few hiccups…mainly that the generator had all but overloaded from opening up almost a hundred thousand tiny portals at once—and then sustaining them for over a minute. She had _no_ idea how that message fixed what happened to Ryo and Jeri.

_But it worked_.

The lights in the building were flickering—less than they had during and immediately after the relay, at least. She headed back to the seldom-used conference room she'd claimed as an office. What she wasn't expecting was the finished product for which she'd sent the blueprints to the lab just a few hours earlier.

She stared at the contents she'd spent all day designing—her own silver bullet.

When she'd been combing through Hypnos's files and resources in the lab, she found something she probably wasn't supposed to see—a sample of the D-Reaper. It wasn't in its evolved form—it was basically just whatever was left over from when they turned it back into—well, whatever that was. But it was enough for her to use some of the source code she'd located in the many, _many_ piles of reports and studies on it. It allowed the nanobots contained within to treat humans _like_ data, without them actually _being_ data.

But while the D-Reaper destroyed indiscriminately, what Mala had designed was targeted.

The case contained two data spikes, and two syringes. They both contained the same thing—a virus—a network of replicating nanobots, that would spread throughout the human host, erase new data, and moderate the activity of existing data.

Essentially, it would weaken Armageddemon, and _force_ it out of Henry's body.

Both contained elements of the D-Reaper, but each was harmless on their own—not entirely a design-by-choice, but it was the only way to keep them stable on such short notice. She couldn't risk having them being volatile in the spikes themselves—the reaction needed to be in the target. In Henry.

The first injection would have the nanos themselves. The second would activate them. It was appropriate that her weapon would require two elements to work—The Destroyer needed two keys itself; Henry and Rika.

They needed to be nanobots, rather than just pure data—if they contained just data, they could just be erased by the Destroyer when it was infected with them.

Mala stared at the needles, nervous. She hadn't been entirely honest in the specs she'd sent to the lab about why she wanted a pair of syringes produced in addition to the data spikes. She sat at the desk, carefully rolling her left sleeve up. They didn't have time for clinical trials—she needed to make sure that it wouldn't harm humans.

She quickly emailed a copy of the schematics to Will—if his clearance was going to be pulled, he might still find the invention useful. The file was enormous—it would take ages to send.

Her teeth were grit. Mala _hated_ getting injections, and she'd certainly never given herself one. Her resolve wavered further as the lights continued to flicker. Taking a long, slow breath, she injected herself with the nanobots.

Her arm felt tingly for a moment, but no more than it did the last time she gave blood. Several moments passed in silence.

_Not dead. Going well so far—no, better than well. If the nanobots were unstable, I'd have known right away. They'll work._

Mala jumped suddenly as she heard a loud noise—something hitting a wall hard, or maybe a gunshot. Seconds later, the lights went out. She looked around frantically, but the room was as it was. The way the sound carried, it sounded like it had happened right behind her, but it had actually come from the hall.

The lights began to flicker once or twice every few seconds, obstructing her view immensely. She set the needle down on the table and crept to the door, only to have it swing open and knock her to the ground. Reeling, she shook her head trying to regain her composure, as a figure entered the room, a cold grace in its movements. And the lights flashed just enough to illuminate the face of Henry Wong.

"Henry…?" Mala gasped.

"Not for some time, now." Henry tilted his head sympathetically.

_The portals…he must have come through when we—_

—_No, the data spikes—_

They were still on the desk. If she could get to them, she could use them on Henry. She could save him.

"Why are you here?" she forced herself to ask in spite of her terror.

"I'm here because I'm trying to find my friends." Henry smiled innocently. "'Birds of a feather flock together', you know."

Mala tried to dash to the desk, but only made it two steps before Henry was in front of her. He kicked her in the stomach hard, and she went soaring backwards. And the second she hit the ground, his foot was on her shoulder.

"So tell me, little bird." Henry continued, his pretence of being condescending replaced by a menacing snarl. "_Where's Rika?_"

* * *

So, that's that!

One of the underlying things in this arc is to mix up the status quo. Takato and Ryo's friendship has been the backbone of this entire series of stories, and now that's all but disintegrated. They also have since both inherited brotherly characters in Cronus and Will, and those connections too are failing. At least Ryo and Rika are still going strong!

Review, please!

-N


	30. Something Left To Lose

Quick recap of where everyone is:

Takato split off to go to Hyperion;

Rika, Ryo, Kazu, Jeri, and the digimon are at the ruins of the clinic Kazu was saved at after Chapter 12;

Will is in Odaiba with Davis;

Mala is in the Hypnos building, which was just attacked by Henry.

-N

* * *

"No!" TK screamed, though he knew it would make no difference.

The bright beam of light tore through the Atlas tower at the centre of Hyperion—it was off in the distance, and TK couldn't tell if it was the dizziness from the shockwave of the attack, or his own despair that knocked him to his knees.

The tower seemed to crumble inwards the moment after the light hit it, but a second later it _exploded_ and collapsed to the city below.

Hyperion had been the strongest, most populated, and best-fortified city in the digital world—and it was gone, in just a second. Seconds before the attack, the shields had flared to life, then died out, and TK had no idea why. Davis and Will had fixed them—hadn't they?

TK'd never seen the attack before, but it had come from the northwest, so he didn't exactly have to sit and wonder what it had been. It was an attack from Armageddemon.

The Judgment of the Destroyer_._

His hand absently reached into his pocket for his crest. Hope—it was supposed to be his _thing_. It hadn't offered him any support in years, though, and it didn't then. He stared in helplessness as Atlas crashed down, destroying the city below. It took every bit of self-control he had not to do the math—the population of Hyperion, how many had been in the infirmaries in the tower after the Destroyer's army had attacked—the casualties…

But a cold hand gripped his heart when he came to another realization.

_Rika…_

The data she'd absorbed was the only thing keeping Armageddemon from reaching full power. Henry had become impatient; that was what had prompted his last attack. TK had no doubt that Henry would have replicated the data in her—but that would take time. If she died though…

It had only been a day earlier that TK had rushed to the city to warn the Tamers of Henry's attack. He'd even successfully beat Henry back. But he'd had to give up the power of the Sovereign to restore Ryo, who had been seriously injured—died, even. He'd told the Tamers the truth about Carter, and Cronus, and Henry, and Will, and everything. Everything except who he really was himself. But that wasn't their business, at least not at the time.

He'd considered telling them—that he'd been one of the digital world's original heroes, but he knew they'd never believe him, not after everything they'd seen him do. Besides, he was certain that they'd have listened to Angemon. His message, rather.

After TK left the city, he hadn't made it far—he'd set up camp in one of the nearby mountains, tending to his wounds. He'd actually spent a fair time simply admiring the view of the city that it provided. But as he knelt staring at the destruction, he cursed the cityscape.

_It was all for nothing_.

He'd given up the power of the Sovereign. His cover with Henry had been blown. And he no longer had any way of communicating with the real world. Davis would have to make contact—if he wasn't dead already. TK was alone.

He turned his head to a small satchel that sat next to his camp, from which he removed Henry's D-Arc. It had hurt Henry—it was the only weapon he had anymore.

Suddenly, he felt it—hope. Henry—Armageddemon couldn't possibly have enough strength to use that kind of power without weakening itself. It was getting desperate. TK looked to the northwest contemplatively. If he left then, he could be at the Destroyer's base in five days.

His eyes turned to the city, however—he knew it was impossible to hear the screams from the distance he was at, but his brain was filling in the blanks for him.

TK had developed a soft spot for Jeri. Ryo—well, they'd been friends once, even if Ryo didn't remember. And even Takato had earned TK's respect.

He had more in common with them than he'd cared to admit. If there was a chance they survived the attack—and there _was, _given what TK'd seen them endure—he had to go look for them.

* * *

"_I am scared, Takato. Things have not gone as they were meant to. Angemon's faith in us was misguided—I can feel what he has felt, and I know that there are variables he couldn't have conceived. But there's still hope. You always thought it was Ryo that kept you at your strongest, your sharpest—we all did. But it seems that we were wrong."_

Takato had been limping as he walked the day before, but as he continued and his feet hurt all over equally, limping no longer provided any comfort, so he simply walked.

He no longer remembered how many days he'd been travelling. He only slept when he passed out from exhaustion, so he had no hope of tracking the time of day. He couldn't feel any lingering anger from the fight—couldn't feel much of anything, really. When the fury from the confrontation had ebbed, it seemed to take just about everything with it—the concern for the mission, his worry about his family, his humiliation of being second-guessed and ousting himself from the people he loved. Takato didn't feel like himself, but he couldn't identify what made that so.

All that remained was his drive. To get to Hyperion, to find Cronus, and to defeat the Destroyer.

If he hadn't been in such a trance, he may have found it strange that he didn't encounter a single digimon on his path. It wasn't until he approached the city—or rather, the ruins—that he saw something that stirred any kind of emotion in him.

The northwest section of the city was entirely obliterated—that was where the blast had come from. Most of the walls around the city were gone—but there was something strange about the way the remnants looked. It wasn't until he looked at the buildings that he understood that the remaining walls seemed to have been _taken_ down; scrapped to provide materials to rebuild the city.

Takato had been right—there were survivors.

Though his hopes of how many were grim. While Hyperion once had a tower in each corner, with a larger one, Atlas, in the center. Henry's attack had been aimed at Atlas—which had been completely destroyed. The only tower that was remotely intact seemed to be the northeast one, though Takato didn't know for sure which it was—Janus, he was pretty sure it was called.

His legs found new life as he hurried towards the city. If Henry's forces had occupied the city, Takato'd be dead as soon as he entered.

However little sense of time he'd had lately, time seemed to slow to a crawl as he raced to the city. By the time he arrived he was dripping with sweat, and he struggled to catch his breath, but his resolve was steeled.

Approaching the city, the terrain seemed to dip down towards it. Takato looked around, noticing it seemed to be a complete circle—the blast that hit the city seemed to have pulsed outwards after Takato and the others escaped. Closer to the city, he saw dozens of graves, the dirt still moist and freshly-moved.

_Not just Wisemon, then…_

As he entered the perimeter of the city, nobody paid him any notice—aside from being _human_, he was as dirty and exhausted as everyone he passed. The digimon he passed were all pushing on, though. They were rebuilding. He felt a twist of pain as he saw an Asuramon helping a Betamon rebuild its home. Hyperion had simply been the best community the digital world had produced, and the Tamers had failed to protect it.

Many of the taller buildings had been destroyed, and the view of the city looked drastically different because of it. Specifically, Atlas tower, which had been at the center of the city, was gone. Takato forced himself to walk to where it had been—he needed to see it.

The pile of rubble was about half as high as the walls of the city had originally been. Takato stared at it for several minutes as the reality of it all set in all over again.

The barrier around the city had flickered when they tried to activate it. The civilians must have thought it had actually worked.

_How long did they have to realize we'd failed them before they died?_

Takato sat down and for the first time in however long, let himself feel the fatigue of his travel. He tried to take his mind off the pain by reminding himself why he was there.

_Cronus. If he's not here, then there's something else here we need…_

"Caturamon, go home." A male voice ordered. "You're going to pass out again if you try and keep up this pace."

"I don't _have_ a home anymore." The Caturamon growled in response. "_Remember_?"

"Your _family_ survived." The man snapped sharply. "Now go be with them at the shelter, and get some goddamn rest."

Takato couldn't even tell it was Reed until he stepped into view. He was wearing a t-shirt that _might _ have been blue at some point, but was covered in dust and dirt, and Takato soon saw why—Reed was clearing the wreckage of the tower. Seeing him, Takato immediately tensed up for a fight—the majority of their encounters had gone very poorly for Takato. With everything else going on, Takato had nearly forgotten that Reed was in fact—well, probably—on his side.

Takato climbed to his feet, his body defiantly screaming at him for rest. He took a few clumsy steps towards the tower, where Reed and the others were working. Takato was probably ten paces away before Reed noticed him.

"Holy _shit_." Reed said in disbelief, dropping a large chunk of stone. "Takato?!"

Reed approached him quickly, with more energy than Takato had had in ages. Takato braced himself for another fight, but was caught off guard as Reed threw an arm around him and laughed joyfully.

Takato was simply too tired to react either way, instead murmuring. "You know, your mood swings are worse than Rika's."

"What happened to you?" Reed asked. "We've been clearing away the wreckage for days now…"

"We were back in Shinjuku when the attack hit." Takato answered. It was mostly true, after all. Takato realized he'd need to be careful with his words—the Tamers essentially _abandoned_ everyone else in the city during the attack. Not by choice, but it might not matter to the citizens. The Circle of Telesto was beloved throughout the city, and—

—_and now Wisemon…_

"The others?" Reed pressed, walking Takato away from the Caturamon and the other digimon which were likely helping him.

"They're fine…" Takato nodded before quickly changing the subject. "What happened after the city was attacked?"

Reed's eyes darted around, suddenly looking a lot more familiar to Takato. "We should talk about this somewhere else."

_Ah. There we go._

"Any suggestions?" Takato shrugged. "The closest thing I have to a room is in that pile of rubble there."

Reed led the way. "The first thing they rebuilt was the bar. Let's go."

They didn't say anything as they walked. Takato wasn't sure what the city's reaction to seeing him would have been—did they blame Takato? He and the others brought so much trouble to the city…

But if there was any animosity, they didn't let it show. In fact, there was no anger to be seen. No despair. It was like they didn't know or care the dangers they faced.

They entered the bar. Takato hadn't gotten to explore the city as much as his friends did before the attack, but from what he'd heard, it was quite spectacular. While the bar was by no means elegant, it was big, clean, and seemed well-built—and it had only been about a week since the attack. The digimon had a remarkable work ethic.

_Guess that's why Valn used them to build his lab._

There were a few dozen digimon scattered about—the outer perimeter had several tables dotted around it. Based on the clearly-human influences the establishment had, Takato assumed Reed had been involved in its reconstruction.

The Lekismon tending to the bar waved at the pair, and Reed gave a friendly wave back.

It was unusual to see Reed behaving like an actual decent person. On one hand it felt very fake, given all Takato had seen him do. However, Takato knew Reed had been attempting to trick the Destroyer; perhaps the friendly young man in front of him was the real Reed after all.

_Or, far more likely, he just plays the part he needs to get what he wants._

It was actually fine by Takato, as long as their goals were the same.

Reed ordered something Takato had no hope of ever pronouncing, and the Lek

Takato casually took a sip of the drink. It was terrible. It tasted sour, and burned more than any drink should.

Reed unlocked and opened the door, and Takato followed him in. It was maybe twice as big as Takato's room in Shinjuku, which was admittedly, kind of small. There was a single bed in the corner, a shabby-looking couch off to the side, and a wooden table in the middle of the room. On the table was what looked like a map of the city, but Takato realized it was blueprints to coordinate the rebuilding efforts. There were a few chairs, some end tables, a dresser, and a desk, all of which were covered in paper.

Takato heard Reed lock the door behind him. Takato pulled a chair over to the table and sat his disgusting drink down on the floor next to him.

"What happened to the shields? We _fixed_ them!" Reed's tone shifted drastically. It was obvious he'd wanted to ask that question since he saw Takato was alive.

"Cronus absorbed the Guardian's power." Takato answered flatly. "And from the looks of things, the power from a whole lot of other things, too. Shields failed, everything went to hell. The end."

Reed didn't say anything for a few moments, but Takato could tell he was connecting dots in his mind.

It was as good a time any, but Takato wasn't sure if he should bring it up or not.

"You can go ahead and ask." Reed said quickly.

Takato nodded. "We saw the message from the Guardian—from Angemon."

"Right." Reed sighed. "If I said that was in another life, it wouldn't really sum it up, so let me just say this: there's a small group of us that were here in the digital world a long time before you and your friends showed up. Most of us are dead or missing now, and the rest pretty much gave up. Except for me and Davis. When we found out about you guys, we saw an opportunity. You know all about the kid, and why he's important."

Takato held back from rolling his eyes. To say it was frustrating to be relying on Reed—who'd been lying for so long—was an understatement at the least.

"So should I start calling you TK now?" Takato asked dryly.

Reed shrugged a shoulder. "TK was the nice guy that everyone went to with their problems. The guy that had a great girlfriend, and a brother that always looked out for him. Reed's the guy that doesn't have that. The guy that will do _whatever it takes_ to save our world, even if it means letting this one burn. Call me what you want, but I'm sure Cronus would understand."

For what felt like a long while, Takato didn't say anything. As much as he didn't want to, he believed Reed. He believed him because Takato understood how hard it was to leave Jeri behind.

"I still have no idea when you're speaking pure bullshit or not." Takato said finally.

"When Davis and I first met," he started carefully. "I didn't like him—hated him, maybe. But before I knew it, he was the only person I could trust. I'm in the same situation with you now. I know _you_ know why I did the things I have, and I won't speculate whether or not you'd have done them differently, but I want to earn your trust, Takato. I'm not asking you to risk anymore than you already are. Just hear me out."

_Damn it._

Cronus's voice had told Takato to come to Hyperion. But to meet Reed…?

"If you try and pull anything—" Takato started.

"Won't happen." Reed said flatly.

Takato sighed.

_Match made in hell. _

"Okay. What's your plan?"

"Henry's digivice." Reed explained. "You saw what it did to him."

"He ran away from it." Takato recalled.

"The digivices only react to their owners." Reed recited. "It wasn't reacting to the Destroyer, it was reacting to Henry."

Takato's eyes widened. "Can we get him back?"

"I think so, yeah." Reed nodded. "Where's Rika?"

Takato still hadn't told him what happened with the others.

"We split up." Takato answered, not exactly lying. "They're on their way to Thalami to try and find support."

"Good." Reed sounded relieved.

"Why's that?"

"She took part of the Destroyer's essence at the same time Henry did." Reed said again. "As long as Rika exists in the digital world, it slows down his power growth. He can still reach full power without her, but until then, she buys us time."

"I was wondering…if the Destroyer could do something like—this…" Takato trailed off, indicating the city out the window. "Why did it wait so long?"

Reed sighed, his hands locked behind his head. "Because he couldn't do something like this without straining himself."

Takato wasn't sure he understood.

"'_Straining himself_'? I thought he was supposed to be all-powerful?"

Reed's hands dropped to his side as he paced around; never meeting Takato's eye, but not seeming to be intentionally avoiding it.

"When Armageddemon took over Henry, he was vulnerable—so he stayed hidden. He got stronger as time went by, til he made his move against you guys by going after Rika." Reed explained. "So we all beat him back and he ran off, then blew up the city. But that kind of power must have taken a lot out of him."

Takato cleared his throat a bit, as if he was talking to his parents and trying to stall. Reed finally looked at him.

"That seems like some wishful thinking…" Takato started doubtfully.

"I was one of his heralds, remember?" Reed held up his hand in protest. "I know what I'm talking about—he needed his heralds to do his fighting because he wasn't strong enough to do it himself. I saw his attack on the city—and I'm guessing that any one of us woulda been strong enough to beat Henry to death with our own hands if we'd been around him right after, and he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it."

So maybe there was a chance after all.

"We have a window, and it's closing. If his power's gonna be growing at the scale it was before, we have a week—maybe two, and he'll be fully-powered. Whether he has Rika or not, the worlds end."

Takato had been in more than his fair share of crappy situations, but what Reed was suggesting was the longest shot yet.

"You really think we can pull this off?" Takato finally asked. "I mean, unless you've got some secret weapon I don't know about…"

"Oh, Takato..." Reed grinned. "Momentai."

* * *

Ryo and the others were taking a break for the night, and he was infinitely grateful for it. His face felt like it was on fire. Specifically, the blood-red scar under his right eye, that _just so happened_ to match the one Guilmon had. He hadn't mentioned it to anybody, but every few hours it would hurt, a lot. Fortunately, his face was so covered in dirt and sweat that his grimacing didn't look unnatural.

The forest they were travelling through would take them most of the way to Thalami. The terrain was uneven, and there wasn't always a clear path, but the trees would at least provide them with some cover, and would hopefully make it harder for the Destroyer's agents to find them.

It had been Renamon who'd suggested they stop. Fortunately, she had an air of authority about her that nobody questioned whether or not it was a good idea. Ryo suspected she was also the only one perceptive enough to notice the throbbing pain that Ryo was in. He hadn't had a chance to talk to Jeri privately, but he assumed her hand was getting the same treatment his face was.

He sat at the campfire, elbows on his knees, face in his hands. He couldn't tell by feeling it, but he knew it was there, right on his face. A reminder. Branded as a traitor, by Guilmon 2.0, self-proclaimed god of the digital world.

_Damn you, Cronus._

Jeri, Rika, Guardromon, Cyberdramon, and Gazimon seemed to be asleep. Ryo, Kazu, and Renamon were the only ones that he could tell were awake, and nobody was saying anything.

Ryo shifted in noticed the left sleeve of his t-shirt was torn at the seam, nearly all across the top half. It wasn't until the breeze hit his skin through the rip that he realized how disgusting he felt. His shorts were caked with dirt and mud, his face was filthy, his socks felt gross—

He stood up and picked up his backpack. Kazu and Renamon looked curious.

"I'm just gonna clean myself up." He said quietly, trying not to wake the others. Giz stirred a little, his long ears flicking slightly.

"I understand." Renamon said softly. "But we don't go off alone. Not anymore."

Ryo was too exhausted to argue, and he owed her for getting him a break without letting the others know how weak he felt, so he agreed. He and Kazu headed just out of sight from the camp.

"How you feeling?" Kazu finally asked.

"Like a big bag of shit." Ryo admitted. "You?"

"We feel like that _most_ days." Kazu pointed out. "Noticing it is just a waste of good sleep."

Ryo snickered.

It was true enough. Sure, they didn't need to eat in the digital world, but they still slept, sweated, bled, cried, whatever. Ryo generally did feel tired and crappy most of the time, but there was always enough to do that he never sat and dwelled on it.

Kazu approached a nearby tree and looked up. Ryo glanced up too, noticing there was a fruit hanging from a branch. It was the shape of an apple, but pure white in color, almost glowing. Looking around, Ryo realized it was the only fruit in any of the nearby trees.

"Hey, boost me up there, will ya?" Kazu said, taking his backpack off and turning to Ryo.

"Why?" Ryo asked, tired.

"Because I want that."

_Right_.

Ryo wasn't sure why he expected a clearer explanation, but whatever. Again, he was too tired to argue. He clasped his hands together, boosting Kazu up. There were enough branches that it would be an easy climb, but the fruit was high enough out of reach that Kazu would indeed have to climb rather than just reach.

With Kazu on his quest for the mystery fruit, Ryo figured he might as well get changed. He opened his backpack, prepared to jump back at the smell, but none came. In fact, most of the clothes at the top of the bag weren't his. There were a few shirts that clearly belonged to Jeri, and a light sweater he recognized as Kazu's. Finally, he found a zip-up hoodie and a pair of cargo shorts that actually belonged to him. Remarkably, everything in the bag was _clean_.

"Did you guys do laundry?" Ryo called up to him.

"Oh. Yeah. You guys were out for a while, we figured it was a good opportunity." Kazu answered absentmindedly, maneuvering up the branches. He paused suddenly, looking down at Ryo. "We split all our clothes up across mine, yours, and Jeri's bags, too. So we don't end up shorthanded if a bag gets lost, like Rika did."

"Good thinking." He'd forgotten that Rika had lost all her stuff. At least she and Jeri were the same size.

Ryo pulled off his t-shirt, wincing at the sound of the sleeve tearing further.

_Damn it._

He looked down at himself. He had a few scratches and cuts on his side. Most of his previous wounds had scarred over. Among the most obvious were two scars over his chest, and one on his abdomen. He could feel a few sore spots on his back, but it wasn't anything incapacitating.

Realizing clothes were in very short supply, Ryo concluded he'd be better off tearing the sleeves off that t-shirt and layering up. He had no idea when they'd get another opportunity to clean up, so he might as well tough it out.

As he worked on pulling the sleeve off without completely destroying the rest of it, he glanced up at Kazu, who was trying to navigate through a thick patch of branches.

"You could just ask Renamon to get that…" Ryo suggested, getting a little uneasy seeing how high up he was getting.

It might have been a shrug, but Ryo couldn't tell from the distance and darkness. "Just wanna do something myself, you know? We've just been sitting around waiting so much."

"Yeah, I get it." Ryo said with a nod. He managed to get the first sleeve off successfully. He began trying to cut the stitching on the second with his teeth. "So what's the deal with that apple-looking-thing?"

"That clinic I was at…" Kazu started. "Like, when it _was_ a clinic and not a charred hole, I mean? They had these there. The guy there used them to make some kind of, I don't know, ointment or something. Fixed me right up."

"Sounds useful enough."

Ryo got the stitch loose, removing the sleeve shortly after. He slipped the shirt back on, and the hoodie after that. He changed the shorts quickly, packing the muddy ones into a separate pouch where it wouldn't dirty everything else. Finally, he located a pair of socks he knew were his own and changed into them.

He felt instantly revitalized. He hadn't even noticed his face had stopped hurting.

Looking up, he saw Kazu finally at the fruit. Ryo realized it wasn't quite glowing, but was almost reflective.

"Gotcha, you shiny little bastard." Kazu declared triumphantly. "Hey, catch!"

It fell quickly as Kazu dropped it, almost as if he'd thrown it. Ryo had tried to brace himself as he caught it, but it had almost no weight at all. Overcompensating, he felt a little dizzy and off-balance as his instincts were humiliated by the digital world's selective laws of physics.

Kazu climbed down with ease, inspecting the fruit closer as Ryo tossed it to him when he reached the ground.

"Think you can make something out of it?" Ryo asked.

"Doubt it." He shrugged. "But I bet Renamon or Giz knows something about how to use it."

Kazu picked up his own backpack, carrying the fruit himself to show Renamon. As they were ready to head back to the campsite, they stopped in their tracks by a ringing noise.

Ryo thought it was the Hypnos communicator, but he recognized the tone—it was his cell phone. He cocked an eyebrow—he'd brought it out of habit, and it had been soaked from his time underwater—how was it working? He slung the backpack off his shoulders and dug around frantically before finally finding it.

_Incoming video call._

His mouth ran dry as he saw that the call was coming from Henry's phone. Ryo looked up and flashed the display to Kazu for a moment, whose eyes widened.

He almost didn't answer it, but he knew he had to. He kept the camera pointed at himself, keeping Kazu out of frame.

Ryo barely recognized the face that grinned back at him. The face of someone he'd known for years, fought beside, and on the rare occasion, fought _with_.

The video was coming through black and white…probably some kind of low-light filter. It must have been night in the real world.

"Hey, Ryo." Henry said casually. Ryo scanned the screen as thoroughly as he could. The background…it was somewhere outside. "Oh, cool tattoo! Is Takato around?"

_Those are tree branches. He's in the real world._

"Aw, just kidding, big guy. You're who I'm really calling for. So I know you have as many places to be as I do, Ryo, and I know we're such good pals that I'm sure we can skip all the pleasantries without it hurting the friendship. So, let's get down to business!" Henry continued cheerfully. "I was wondering if maybe you and your friends would consider joining my side in this whole thing."

Ryo actually had to stifle a laugh.

"_What_?" He asked when he recomposed himself.

"Well it occurred to me that I liked having a full trio of heralds—I'm a stickler for tradition, you see—and you, Kazu, and Jeri are the _top_ candidates! All you have to do, is hand Rika over to me."

Ryo didn't bother to hide his confusion. "You know, I _think_ we're gonna have to pass on that."

"You sure?" Henry emphasized his disappointment. "You know that sharing in this power's your best chance of stopping me, right?"

"We'll take our chances, thanks." Ryo shrugged.

"Well I'm sorry to hear that, but I'll just have to respect your decision." Henry sighed. The background began to move as Henry began walking. Ryo could only see a few treetops from the angle the phone was being held at, nothing to give him an idea of where Henry was. "Let me be completely honest with you, Ryo. Whatever Takato's little pet did screwed up the digital world _bad_. Locations aren't matching up with coordinates. Meaning I can't come kill you, because I can't _find_ you. So, I'm going to let you go about your business until you decide to hand Rika over to me, or fight me and lose, or whatever. And that's going to be soon, because the longer you take, the less of a life you'll have left here."

Henry was bobbing out of the frame, and he soon entered his car and shut the door. The camera turned to face the backseat, where Mala struggled, bound and gagged, eyes flooded with tears.

"You son of a bitch—" Ryo hissed.

"Now, now." Henry scolded. "I'm giving you the chance to be civil about this. I'll be back in the digital world soon enough. When I kill her, I can absorb her data and know everything she knows, including where _you_ are. So it really is just a matter of time. But—wait, today's a special day, isn't it?"

"What the hell are you—"

"That's right, Ryo, it's your birthday!" Henry said with a grin.

It _wasn't_ Ryo's birthday; his birthday was still a day away. Wasn't it? He'd been unconscious for—well, it didn't matter anyways.

"Sure, is." Ryo replied. The fact that Henry was still talking to him told Ryo that there was more to the call. He got a bad feeling.

"All grown up…then again, we haven't been kids for years now, have we?"

"No, we really haven't." Ryo agreed.

"I just wanted you to know, that what's gonna happen to Mala here's not your fault. I know it's just not in your wiring to do anything useful, or _right_, like hand Rika over to me." Henry lamented. "I mean, you can't even get the little things right, like have friends that don't resent you, a dad that's actually interested in you, or a brother that doesn't hate you."

Ryo's face grew hot. However successful Ryo'd been at hiding his emotions before didn't matter. There was no suppressing the anger he felt then.

"Wait, that's it!" Henry perked up. "That brother of yours works at Hypnos, right? As in, that big building right over there?"

The camera turned to show the Hypnos building. The filter on the camera took a moment to adjust to the street lights. He was still in Shinjuku. High up, too…Ryo suddenly recognized it—it was from one of the rises near the building where Will's car accident had been.

When the building exploded, Ryo nearly threw up, as the screen turned back around to display Henry's face.

"No!" Ryo screamed in horror.

Henry dropped the façade in its entirety when he returned to view. His expression was grim, unrepentant, and intimidating as all hell. "You think we're playing children's games, Ryo? You're in over your head. There's thirteen million more people in this city. Just _imagine_ what I can do to them. I'll be in touch soon."

"Henry." Ryo caught his breath. Henry had been reaching for the phone, presumably to turn it off, but paused eagerly.

"Yes?"

"I know the real you is still in there somewhere. I know that, because the Destroyer's keeping you in there so we'll hold our punches when it counts. But I'm telling you now that I'm not going to—I'm the man that's gonna kill you."

A pause before the Destroyer spoke.

"Henry's sorry to hear that."

With that, the screen went dead. Ryo didn't know if he was staring at it for seconds or minutes, but he replayed the scene over and over again. The explosion—could anyone have survived it…?

"Ryo, I—I'm sorry…" Kazu stammered. Ryo had nearly forgotten Kazu was there, that there was a world outside of the little screen that just ruined his life. Ryo still stared at the phone, expecting it to somehow show that it hadn't been real.

They remained there for several minutes. Ryo was numb. Everyone at Hypnos—

_Will…_

He was supposed to have been _safe_ in the Hypnos building. The last few weeks, with everything that had gone on between them…Ryo'd still thought they would have had time to patch things up.

_He called looking for _me. _Not the others. Because I'm the weak link._

Henry had been toying with them, and Ryo was an easy mark. He'd left his fifteen year old brother helpless in the first place Henry would look for targets.

Ryo knew it wouldn't be a long-term solution, but it was the only thing he could do to not feel like the world was burning. He shut down.

"Henry just called." Ryo said plainly, trying unsuccessfully to hide the fact his voice was shaking.

"What_?_" Rika demanded.

Ryo couldn't meet their eyes. He was concerned that if he did, they'd realize how terrified he was. "He's in Shinjuku. He just destroyed the Hypnos building."

"_What?!"_ Jeri gasped, her marked hand covering her mouth.

"He's got Mala." Ryo said slowly, still staring at the phone expecting it to flare to life again. "She's alive, but—"

In his peripheral vision, he could see the others exchange glances. It was Giz who spoke.

"Where's Will?"

Ryo finally looked at the small digimon, his body still tingling from the shock. "He's dead."

* * *

"Sorry about the mess." Davis said as he opened the door to the apartment and flicked the switch. Nothing happened.

_Right. The power's still out_.

Will had become disillusioned to the fact because of the emergency lights in the hallway were so bright.

It had gone out shortly after they'd relayed the message to Mala, which made sense—what they had attempted to pull off would have required a whole lot of power. The drive back to Davis's had taken twice as long as it took to leave it, and they'd seen more than a few car accidents along the way that made Will more uncomfortable than they would have a week before.

Davis fumbled in a drawer using his phone as a light, before pulling out a small stack of small black discs. He gave each a twist and it flared to life and moved to place them, illuminating the apartment.

It was probably smaller than Will and Ryo's place, but it was hard for Will to estimate because there was simply so much in it—Davis had tripped twice in placing the lights.

Most of the furniture seemed to have been pushed to the perimeter of the room in an effort to clear space in the centre. Nearly a dozen computer terminals stacked seemingly-carelessly, a laser printer that had finished producing a small stack of documents that didn't appear to have been lifted yet, sketches and maps covering the walls, binders littering the floor, and several jars of instant coffee in the kitchen-area.

"No problem." Will nodded. "My room pretty much looked like this when I was trying to track TK down."

Will was about to remove his bag when he realized there wasn't actually anywhere to put it. Instead he wandered over to what could be considered the workspace, and began to take a closer look at everything. The maps seemed to be in places around the world portals had opened up. Some of the sketches seemed to be of regions of the digital world. Will recognized a few locations and names on it—Hyperion, Galatea, Thalami—but it seemed there were even more regions of the digital world than Will had thought.

"Check out that red binder there." Davis indicated to Will's left.

Will crouched down to pick it up, nearly losing his balance as his shoulder bag swung around. The binder was thick; he fumbled with it for a moment to get his hand around the outsides of it to pick it up, pulling it against his chest after he'd managed to lift it. He carried it to the kitchen table and set it down before opening it up to an indexed page in the middle.

"'While some digital creatures do indeed have circulatory systems, they serve no vital purpose. It is speculated that they may have functioned at one time, but that they have since evolved beyond the need for blood.'" Will read aloud. "'However, the forms that _do_ have a full network of veins and arteries actually absorb data to heal themselves approximately sixteen percent more efficiently than their counterparts do'."

Will perked up. "Is this a textbook on digital medicine?"

"Anatomy, yeah." Davis specified.

Will flipped to a few more random indexes—Data Transfusions, Power Absorptions, Aging—it would have been remarkably helpful had Will had a resource like that during the battle at Hyperion.

"Did you write this?" he asked.

"God, no." Davis shook his head, giving a little laugh.

Will grabbed the front cover and clumsily attempted to brush the pages all to the back as he stared at the author's name.

"Joe Kido." Davis said as Will felt uneasy for a moment.

_That name…?_

He pulled out his phone, skipping to his last message from Mala.

_142 Ariake St, Office 1D, it's a private psychiatry practice. Ask for Joe Kido._

"You know him?" Will asked.

Davis nodded. "Yeah, he's one of us."

Will held up his phone. "He works for Hypnos?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Not for some time now, why?"

"Mala scheduled me a counseling session with him tomorrow morning."

"Huh."

Davis seemed stumped, but he didn't seem bothered. Will knew it wasn't just a coincidence…Davis and Kari both seemed to know about Hypnos—it was possible that Hypnos would know at least _something_ about them. Made sense they'd want to scoop up a Ph.D. that had experience with the digital world, but as a psychiatrist?

Will turned his attention to the window. He could see the phone booth he'd used earlier that day, and the café he'd camped out at while he was trying to figure out who Davis was. It took him a moment to see it since it was so dark, but he realized a car had crashed into the dining area. Will felt dizzy as he pictured it. He took a step back, slipping on a piece of paper and landing hard on his back.

"We under attack?" Davis entered the room from the hallway.

"No." Will coughed out a reply as he sat up and climbed to his feet.

Davis was leaning against the wall. He'd changed into a black t-shirt, the scars that covered his arm exposed. The next thing Will noticed was that Davis hadn't tried to help him up. The only other person that didn't treat Will like he was some kind of charity case was Kazu.

Will was concerned—he couldn't get in touch with Mala. Her phone was going straight to voicemail, and the line at Hypnos was dead. Their efforts to create so many simultaneous portals to the digital world had come at the price of the city's power, as they anticipated it might. But at least some power in the city seemed to be back, and Will had no doubt that Hypnos would have access to it.

The TV signals and Internet access were also disabled. Will figured that Hypnos was just controlling the information while they came up with a plausible lie of what they'd just done—it might explain why they weren't answering their phones. Will had been in Odaiba at the time, so he hadn't actually seen what happened immediately _at _the Hypnos-area in Shinjuku, but he had no doubt it would have been something conspicuous. But Mala would still answer her phone, wouldn't she?

_Maybe she's just getting yelled at by Yamaki._ _She'll call in a few minutes._

As much as he tried to push it out of his mind, he was checking his phone every thirty seconds—staring at the screensaver sheepishly, making sure the ringer was on, setting it down, and repeating.

"I think we should go to the Hypnos building." Will blurted out anxiously.

Davis hesitated. "Not tonight." He said finally.

"What?"

"No more driving tonight." Davis said flatly. "You saw how bad the roads were out there, and the power still looks out in most of the city. We'd never make it past the bridge."

Will hadn't considered that—there had been tons of crashed cars on the way back from that woman's house. The suspension bridge from Odaiba to the mainland would be packed full.

_I'll be lucky if it's clear by tomorrow night…_

At any rate, Mala would have gotten in touch with him by then. She could sort something out, he knew.

"If you want to get some sleep," Davis said, pointing. "TK's room's through there. You can use it 'til we sort out what to do next."

"I'm okay for now. Maybe later."

Will _was_ getting exhausted. But there was too much going on that he'd never get to sleep if he tried.

"We need to reestablish contact." Davis said hurriedly. "Finding Ryo's our first priority."

Why him?" Will tried unsuccessfully to hide his discomfort. "Why not TK? Or Takato?"

Will knew Ryo would be a key factor in the coming battle—everyone did. Even if he wasn't leading an army again or confronting Henry himself, he was still the strongest among them—minus Cronus, of course.

Ryo had never led the team; it had always been Takato to do that—to formulate their ultimate strategies, to make the hard choices. Takato's drive—his courage, his inability to accept defeat—it had pulled him and his friends through obstacle after obstacle. Ryo might have been capable of it, but he'd never been tested like that.

_Or maybe you're just making excuses_.

Will could tell that Davis was curious—about Will's seemingly-sudden shift in attitude towards Ryo. Will no longer knew how he felt about Ryo—the time and distance had helped, but there was still a lingering resentment—the fact hanging over his head that Ryo had made a fool of Will for so long.

But it wasn't relevant. Will and Ryo could both focus on the mission without dragging their personal issues along for the ride.

"Look, uh…" Davis started slowly. "I know it's not my business, but whatever's going on with you and Ryo, you might want to sort it out—get some closure one way or the other. It sounds like you and I have had a lot of the same things happen to us, and, well— you're all living very dangerous lives…and it's not fair when a sibling dies and you never even got a chance…"

He trailed off—not because he was overcome with emotion, or couldn't find the words; it just seemed like he'd become lost in thought.

_He lost a brother or sister…?_

"Davis?" Will called quietly.

Davis looked back at him, and spoke quickly before he turned back away. "Like I said, it's not my business…and I know we're not the same people, but you might be able to learn from my mistakes."

Will had been waiting for it so long he nearly yelped when he heard it—his phone rang. But it wasn't from Mala—the screen said it was Takato.

"Hello?" He answered it quickly.

"Will!" Takato's father cried out. "Are you alright?! We've been worried sick!"

"Y—yes sir." He stammered. "I'm fine."

"We used Takato's spare key to Ryo's apartment, and we had to look everywhere before we found your new cell phone number…we heard you'd been working at Hypnos, and—" Mr. Matsuda went on.

Will was overcome with guilt. Takato's parents had been incredibly supportive to him when Will's mother had died. He should have checked in with them—made sure they were off the roads when the power went out.

"I have been working there, yeah…I just—took the day off." Will explained.

"Will, you don't—"

"I'm sorry." Will cut him off. "I'm fine—really. We needed to send some power to the digital world, and—"

"Will, Hypnos is _gone_." The man said gravely. "The whole building was destroyed."

"What?"

"Some kind of explosive was set off." Mr. Matsuda went on. "There's—there's been no announcement of any survivors yet."

Will stumbled backwards two steps, until his back hit the wall. Until then, Davis hadn't really seemed to be paying attention, but after Will's reaction, his stare was locked.

_Destroyed? Oh my god…Mala!_

The Internet access was still down, and so were all the TV signals. It could have happened immediately, and he just wouldn't have heard about it.

"Will?"

In his trance, he had no idea if it was Davis, or Mr. Matsuda who spoke. He lowered his phone, and put it on speaker—in part so that Davis could here, but mostly because he suddenly felt extremely dizzy, and the phone had become too heavy to hold upright.

"Hypnos was destroyed?" Will repeated. He must have sounded silly, his voice shaking and cracking as he tried to hold back the tears and suppress the urge to be sick.

Davis's face paled. "When?"

Will relayed the question into the phone.

"I have no idea, everyone's saying different things." The man sighed.

"Did we…do that...?" Davis asked quietly, eyes wide with terror.

_We overloaded the power grid by pushing the portal generator past its limits…_

Will ran the situation over and over in his mind, but it didn't make sense. Hypnos was built to withstand more than a few dangerous—albeit extreme—experiments.

"No." Will concluded. "The most volatile equipment in there is the portal generator, and it couldn't possibly destroy the building."

Davis must have realized it at the same time he did, and Will wanted to slap himself for not figuring it out right away. They'd opened up portals to the digital world. Portals were a two-way deal—something must have come through one of them.

_Henry_.

"Mr. Matsuda, you need to get out of town, _now_." Will said sternly, finding strength in his arm again and holding the phone near his mouth, though it was still on speaker.

"What? But—"

"_Trust_ _me, _please!" Well pleaded. "If what destroyed Hypnos is what I think, they could be after any of us…I want you safe. Get your wife and leave the city—don't tell me or anyone else where you're going."

Will's hand was shaking.

"Alright." The man agreed, defeated. "But what about you?"

"I'll be okay…" It probably didn't sound any more convincing than it sounded in his head. "I need to stay here, so I can help the others…"

Will clenched his eyes shut, holding the phone to his forehead as he made another decision. "Can you—can you please call Mr. Wong and the other parents, and tell them to run, too?"

"Of course."

"And tell the Wongs that—that if they see Henry, it's not really him. It's just something pretending to be him."

Will wanted to hang up so that he wouldn't have to elaborate. Takato's family was the closest thing he had to parents anymore.

"I'll—let them know. I'm guessing you're about to tell me that it's not safe to call you anymore, right?"

Will couldn't find his voice, and absentmindedly nodded, giving a small whimper of a laugh when he realized what he'd done.

"Please take care of yourself, and our sons." Mr. Matsuda told him. He didn't sound worried. Either he'd been through similar situations before, or he was being strong for Will so he wouldn't worry about them. "Make sure everyone gets home, okay?"

"Y—yeah."

He turned off the phone.

Hypnos was gone; his friends were stranded; the Destroyer was probably after him; and Mala was in all likelihood dead. Will wanted to cry. He probably would have, if he hadn't been so concerned about looking foolish in front of Davis.

Davis, who seemed to have gone through similar trials as Will. Davis, who was still fighting his hardest without a hint of hesitation or self-pity. Whatever Davis had gone through, he was strong. Whereas with each trial Will encountered, he felt more and more broken.

"You did the right thing." Davis reassured him.

Will didn't respond, because he simply no longer knew believed that there _was_ a right thing. But as the despair washed over him, he realized that perhaps he could finally understand why Ryo had lied to him. And for the first time in a very long, difficult time, Will wanted his brother.

* * *

I was experimenting with the format on that chapter, it's one of the only ones done by multiple POV's where it does them in single segments rather than jumping back and forth.

The result was, I hope, four enjoyable mini-chapters showing what everyone's up to without tying them together just yet.

Review, please!

-N


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